Hitchcock

Good evening. Personally, I love movies about making movies such as "Hugo" (sorry for spoiling anything). One thing I will say about "Hitchcock" is that you must see "Psycho" first. You enjoy "Hitchcock" a lot more that way and we don't want anything spoiled for you when you watch the 1960 horror film. I saw "Hitchcock" the day after I saw "Psycho" for the first time by the way. One mistake people make about the story of "Hitchcock" is that it is solely about the making of "Psycho". I however feel that the "Hitchcock" is more about the man than the movie. We are given a glimpse into the possible mindset of Alfred Hitchcock. The movie is not perfect but well done nonetheless. It is also fun.

I like the opening shot because for a moment, I wondered if I was in the wrong theater. But then the shovel hit the head and we hear that familiar TV music followed by the reveal of the Master of Suspense. That was a fun way to kick things off and I am so grateful for the use of that music. The movie feels like it starts in the middle of the story rather than at the beginning and this is an interesting approach. Many biopic films start when the main character is unknown or unsuccessful such as "Ray" or "The Social Network". This is not to say that "Hitchcock" is the first biographic movie to portray only part of someone's life but what I am trying to say is that the movie feels as though we came into the story late. This is because "Hitchcock" at first has no obvious conflict in the scene at the premiere of "North by Northwest". Hitchcock has just delivered another well-made and well-received film but there are hidden story elements that must be resolved. Hitchcock's wife, Alma, is not at his immediate side and a reporter asks whether Hitchcock should retire due to his age. We come to see that Hitchcock is a man stuck in a routine. He is no longer taking risks and he & his wife/collaborator have lost their spark. Hitchcock is also a troubled man whose life mimics his art. He spies on younger women through the blinds and seems to surprise everyone by his sudden presence. He also imagines himself alongside Ed Gein on whom the character of Norman Bates is based. These particular moments are noteworthy because we have the Master of Suspense spending time with a lunatic. When Hitchcock comes across "Psycho", he finds the risk he has been looking for. He wants to feel the magic again of doing something challenging. I like the inclusion of the true life fact that Hitchcock bought up all the copies of the book he could find so that his audience would not already know the ending of the film. The pieces start coming together with the hiring of Joseph Stefano and Anthony Perkins. Perkins in real life was a shy individual and I surprised to learn this while watching "Hitchcock". I have a greater admiration for his work on "Psycho" now. Another surprising fact I learned by way of "Hitchcock" was that "Vertigo" was a failure upon its initial release. That film became more accepted by Hollywood as time went on but I had assumed that it was always viewed as a Hitchcock masterpiece. I like how during the filming of "Psycho" that you can see the Bates home high up in the background of some of the shots. One mistake with "Hitchcock" is that "Psycho" was actually filmed at Universal Studios and not at Paramount. The film did stay true to many other true-life events such as Hitchcock getting a cold and issues with flushing toilet on screen. Janet Leigh is an important character. As Hitchcock directs her, she starts to admire him because he makes the scenes real for her. Janet may appear frightened such as when the shower scene is shot but underneath the fear on her face, she is more concerned with what Hitchcock is going through privately. You see this in the car also as Janet's character is driving. I love how we see Hitchcock's silhouette behind the car. That was a nice touch. The filming of the shower scene comes to represent Hitchcock's frustration with Alma, Whit, the studio heads, etc. I love how certain shots are replicated from the shower murder scene itself once Hitchcock takes the knife. Janet afterwards can tell that something is wrong with Hitchcock. She was afraid but then she displays concern. I enjoy the dramatic narrative because by the time filming is finished, it seems that "Psycho" is doomed to fail. The problems in his marriage are affecting production. Hitchcock & Alma settle their differences and come to understand that neither can succeed without the other. That is why they love each other. With this final conflict resolved, post-production begins on a hopeful note. The editing and the music are two very noteworthy characteristics of "Psycho" and the film "Hitchcock" portrays this very well. I love the scenes with composer Bernard Herrmann and how the famous musical cue came to be. The line "It's getting there" says a lot about Hitchcock as a filmmaker. He was a perfectionist and to have him say that progress is being made is a compliment. While the film appears to be saved, the studio won't help advertise as much as is needed. Hitchcock's genuis comes to the rescue now that he is free to think with Alma at his side. It is very smart how Hitchcock obtained word of mouth with those theater rules he set in place specific to this particular film. I really enjoy the scenes at the theater for the first screening of the show with Hitchcock in the lobby. The musical score during the shots of Hitchcock looking at the audience from the projection room and from the lobby is from "Psycho", re-recorded for this film. It is pretty funny when he is twiddling his thumbs waiting for the desired screams as an employee sweeps behind him. I was a little disappointed however that the studio heads were not in the last scene to offer their contrition. The film breaks the fourth wall at the end much like it did at the start and I could tell that a reference to "The Birds" was coming.

According to the American Film Institute, the top two movie villains of all time are Hannibal at #1 and Norman Bates at #2. I find it fitting that the actor who portrayed Hannibal is now portraying the man who helped bring the character of Norman to the screen. Anthony Hopkins' performance was really good but half of the credit goes to the makeup. It looked so real and did wonders for his character. Helen Mirren also performed well but I wish to insert some criticism here. The central conflict between Hitchcock and Alma worked sometimes and not at other times. This is the main problem with "Hitchcock" because I did not fully believe the relationship between the two main characters when I first saw the movie. Both main actors did well but their chemistry on screen together wasn't perfect. Scarlett Johansson, also with a little costume help, embodies the character of Janet quite well. I cannot for example compare Janet with Black Widow because there is a clear distinction. We also have Ralph Macchio, the Karate Kid himself, as Joseph Stefano. James D'arcy looks and behaves so much like Anthony Perkins. The design of "Hitchcock" was that of a glamorous depiction of the 1960's. "Catch Me If You Can" did the same thing in that we see some retro clothes and appliances but they are depicted as new and mainstream. I was happy to see that Ivan Reitman was the producer of this movie. Danny Elfman did such a great job with the musical score because it sounded uncharacteristic of his past works. He had re-recorded the entire "Psycho" score for the 1998 remake and so it was sort of fitting that he score this film.

Some chemistry problems between Hopkins and Mirren prevented this film from being truly wonderful but that doesn't mean it was a waste of time. I enjoyed the movie's playful nature and its accuracy in depicting many of the events of the making of "Psycho". I also like the hidden references to the 1960 movie such as the Candy Corns. You must watch that movie before you see this one because you will enjoy "Hitchcock" more as mentioned. I thought the film would win Best Makeup at the Oscars but I was surprised when "Les Miserables" won instead. I loved seeing how life imitates art in the case of Alfred Hitchcock. This movie does not depict the true state of mind of the Master of Suspense but rather an entertaining one.

4 Stars