Hitchcock

Those darned journalists. At the première of North by Northwest, Alfred Hitchcock is revelling in his great success when one of them asks: “You’re the most famous director in the history of the medium, but you’re 60 years old, shouldn’t you just quit while you’re ahead?” The question hits hard. The master of suspense realises full well that if he stops working, it’ll all be over. He has to think of something new, and his attention is drawn by the story of serial killer Ed Gein. Almost everyone tries to dissuade him from trying his hand at horror, but Hitchcock stubbornly persists. When Paramount refuses to fund the project, he finances Psycho himself.
Director Sacha Gervasi combines the genesis of Hitchcock’s biggest blockbuster and negative ad for showering with extensive treatment of the tempest that apparently struck his marriage with Alma (Reville) during the process. Hitchcock’s obsession with his blonde actresses and lack of respect for Alma’s (enormous) contribution to the success of his films drive her into the arms of a mediocre screenwriter. It’s almost soap opera. It is even more grievous, when you reflect on it, that Hitchcock is depicted as a sick mind who vents his frustrations through film. The nadir: imagined conversations with Ed Gein. Not an ounce of subtlety. The film is only enjoyable if you abandon all conclusions related to Hitchcock. Anthony Hopkins is unrecognisable in the title role. Helen Mirren makes Alma a stronger woman than she presumably really was. Scarlett Johansson has no trouble with Janet Leigh.

This mild entertainment rests on a handful of good moments. During the première of Psycho, Hitchcock stands in the wings conducting the screaming during the infamous shower scene like the maestro that he was.

Hitchcock ●●
US, 2012, dir.: Sacha Gervasi, act.: Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Scarlett Johansson, 100 min.