The Master Of Suspense gets an entertaining biopic, but still remains the most enigmatic of directors.
[rating=4]
Alfred Hitchcock was a seismic cinematic force, so legendary that the adjective ‘Hitchcockian’ is used to describe a film done in his style.
But as this enjoyable biopic rightfully asserts, his legacy is due in large part to his wife Alma Reville, who helped with his scripts, editing and other creative processes.
The story revolves around the making of Psycho, but in truth its more concerned with their marriage, and the trials they faced to stay vital in Hollywood, which always defers to youth over experience.
While Psycho was Hitchcock’s biggest hit, during the filming it was considered by Paramount studio heads to be to his downfall. His career seemed to have peaked, and many thought he was cheapening himself through the horror genre.
The movie was a personal gamble by the couple, self-financed to bypass resistance to a script that defied narrative convention (killing off the main character early in the film) and decency (the ratings board was nervous about the shower murder, and the toilet flushing scene, as that had never been shown on screen at the time.).
The infamous shower scene, is a highlight in this film as well, both in watching the behind-the-scenes execution and the thrill Hitchcock got from watching the audience’s reaction upon its première. (I also loved how Hitchcock had insisted on no music during the scene. Fortunately Alma persevered in allowing Bernard Herrmann’s iconic score to be used.)
Another element of the film involves Alma’s relationship with her friend, screenwriter Whitfield Cook. They were working on a separate project, and Alfred felt betrayed both creatively and personally and worries she is having an affair.
This works both ways; Alma feels resentment towards her husband’s fawning over his buxom blonde leading ladies.
But its their creative chemistry that fuels this relationship. In many ways Alma steals the movie, and Helen Mirren is almost guaranteed an Oscar nom. She is both feisty and vulnerable, firm and maternal.
As Hitchcock, Anthony Hopkins isn’t entirely convincing physically and verbally as the man he portrays. But he nails the director’s insecurity about his artistic legacy and marriage.
Scarlett Johanson and Jessica Biel are pleasant and engaging as Janet Leigh and Vera Miles, respectively. And James D’Arcy’s eerie resemblance of Anthony Perkins is striking.
Director Sasha Gervashi seemed a curious choice given his last film was the rockumentary Anvil: The Story Of Anvil. But he keeps the narrative running workmanlike and unobtrusively.
If Hitchcock has a failing, it’s that the man’s inner motivations still feel somewhat hermetically sealed.
The movie is based on the book The Making Of Psycho by Stepehen Rebello. I read it many years ago, but it seemed more concerned with the intricacies of the movie’s production, not the personal back story. Some of the narrative was clearly changed to keep things lively and concise. There is an artifice keeping things from going too internal.
But this seems fitting; As a director Hitchcock was obsessed with plot, not character. It took years for film critics to yield the subtext of his personal demons from within his movies. That he should still remain mysteriously opaque perfectly suits the Master of Suspense.
Check out this Interesting Interview with Helen Mirren about playing Alma and Hitchcock’s relationships with women.
Starring: Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jessica Biel, James D’Arcy.
Director: Sacha Gervasi.
Rating: PG-13, for some violent images, sexual content and thematic material.
Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes.
FYI, I recently saw the other Hitchcock biopic, HBO’s The Girl. It sucked.
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