There are no negatives with Hitchcock, just reels of cleverly constructed suspense and intrigue, great characterisation, impeccable performances and psychological portrayals. It’s a combination that made movies like Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window and North by North West so impactful when they were released and so enduring now and it’s a combination that makes the Hitchcock movie DVD so much of a joy to watch.
Released on the 17th June 2013 on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download, the movie is a low-key triumph for director, Sacha Gervasi. With an all star cast featuring Anthony Hopkins (Thor: The Dark World), Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Beil, it’s a great snapshot of a significant point in the life of Alfred Hitchcock.
The film is a based on Stephen Rebello’s biography, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho and centre around the period in his life that he found and constructed his most controversial film, Psycho. While it might be considered fairly tame today with the modern day desensitisation to nudity and horror in movies, but at the time it pushed at the outer edges of what was legitimately distributable in the US.
With an actor like Anthony Hopkins in the lead role as Hitchock, you’d expect a strong performance and he pulls it off brilliantly, recreating the corpulent persona of the legendary film director perfectly. It’s a rarity to look at the screen and see Anthony Hopkins in a fat suit and makeup as opposed to the modern day incarnation of Hitchcock himself.
He’s added to by an effortless portrayal of his wife, Alma Reville, by Helen Mirren (Arthur 2011). While it’s hard to say how accurate it was, it contributes significantly to the overall flow and direction of the film.
The same can be said for both Scarlett Johansson (Captain America: Winter Soldier) as the iconic Janet Leigh and Jessica Beil (Total Recall) as Vera Miles, the leading ladies of Psycho. Both add the star glamour that was as much an integral part of Hitchocks movies as any of the suspense and psychological drama. They also go a long way to draw out some of the personality behind the main man showing his interest in beauty as well as death and darkness.
Supporting cast members like Tony Collette as Hitchcock’s assistant Peggy, Kurtwood Smith as Geoffrey Thurlock, the head of the Motion Picture Production Code review board for Psycho, and Michael Wincott as Hitch’s imaginary Ed Gein (the real life killer that inspired the movie) help to paint the picture behind the micro-biopic comedy drama. It’s added to be a short, but genuinely brilliant cameo from Ralph Macchio as Joseph Stephano, the screenwriter that adapts Robert Bloch’s novel, which was the basis of the movie.
As with everything else about the great director, there’s a lot more to the story than just the shooting of a great film. There’s an immersive insight into the lives of Hitch and Alma, including the former’s interest in fine French cuisine and hot young actresses and the latter’s frustration at this and being overshadowed by her husband’s notoriety. This nudges her into taking on a writing partnership with their friend, Whitfield Cook, played by Danny Huston (Anjelica Huston’s half-brother and the boss vampire from 30 Days of Night) causing a few great scenes between the couple that mirror the film Psycho with a clever pastiche.
The Hitchcock movie is a great DVD to watch, especially for fans. It’s funny, fascinating viewing from start to end, making it worth a watch for all, but a good one for multiple viewings for lovers of his films. Even the trailer’s worth watching a few times!
Hitchcock movie DVD review: 4.7/5
