Hitchcock (2012)

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most influential directors in cinema history. He also has a somewhat checkered reputation among those who’ve worked with him. Or so I’ve read. If I’m being honest, I know very little about the man responsible for such acclaimed movies as North by Northwest, The Birds, and Rear Window. What little I do know revolves around that he’s been accused of being handsy with his female cast members as well as his being a bit unconventional in hassling reactions out of them for the camera.

2012’s Hitchcock, starring Anthony Hopkins as the filmmaker and directed by Sacha Gervasi (Anvil! The Story of Anvil), looked like an entertaining way to learn a bit more about the man and his methods. With a great cast, including Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Toni Collette, and Danny Huston, I figured it couldn’t miss.

Unfortunately, the film doesn’t delve very deeply into the man. It’s based on the book, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, written by Stephen Rebello. So, the focus is limited to the creation and filming of Hitchcock’s most successful film. OK, that’s fine. But as the film opens, Hopkins, in heavy facial makeup and a fat suit, greets the audience with Hitch’s trademark accentuated, “Good evening.” It takes a bit of time to get used to Hopkins in this get-up. He looks somewhat like Hitchcock but still resembles himself. It’s clear that the film intends to deliver a somewhat stylized version of the director.

Aside from the heavy makeup and the fact that almost every character reminds the audience of the director’s past achievements by name, much of the story could be about any successful director at some point in their career. How many directors have had trouble finding a new project that excited them on a creative level? How many directors had a strong creative partner on whom they could lean when they felt insecure? How many directors have had trouble finishing a film on-budget and on-time? While there are Hitchcock-specific elements to the story, aside from the fact that Hitch financed Psycho out of his own pocket, they are few, far between, and mostly trivial at best. For a film entitled Hitchcock, we learn much more about the production of Psycho than we do about the director. Thankfully, that’s almost interesting enough to make the film worth recommending.

Some stellar performances elevate the film to that status. Helen Mirren shines as Hitchcock’s wife, Alma Reville, who is portrayed as his more refined better half. Toni Collette disappears into her role as Peggy, Hitch’s personal assistant. I didn’t even recognize her at first. Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel play two of Hitch’s leading ladies. Johansson is Janet Leigh, the star of Psycho and the current object of Hitch’s obsession. Biel is Vera Miles, who was once Hitch’s favored leading lady and is now quite thankful to only have one picture left in her contract with him. James D’Arcy delivers a spot-on Anthony Perkins but, sadly, doesn’t get a lot of screen-time.

Had Hitchcock spent less time on the “Is Alma cheating or isn’t she” subplot and the weird interludes where Hitchcock interacts with Ed Gein (Michael Wincott,) the serial killer who inspired Robert Bloch to write the novel, Psycho, I think I would have enjoyed it much more. But, as it is, it’s a marginally entertaining look behind-the-scenes during the making of one of Hitchcock’s greatest films. But I wouldn’t go into it expecting a reliable source of accurate information about the “Master of Suspense.” Or, rather, much information at all.