A Hitch and a Flop

Grade A-

 

Hitchcock is a movie with two story lines.  The first is a birds-eye (pun intended) view into a long standing marriage between Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reveille. The battle scars and blemishes are apparent and yet it is truly their love story.

The second plot involves  a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the movie Psycho.  It encompasses everything from raising big movie money and politics to Hitchcock's passion for the project. 

 

 

The thing I loved about Sir Anthony Hopkins' depiction of Hitchcock was that I never felt he was doing an imitation of him.  He was Hitchcock.  That is a difficult thing to do considering Hitchcock's quirkiness and idiosyncrasies.

 

 

 

Helen Mirren delivered a brilliant performance as Alma.  I did not know anything about Mrs. Hitchcock and as it turned out, I think she is a more interesting persona than her husband.  Alma was an accomplished writer and editor in her own right, and a very independent woman.  Although she was extremely gifted and was virtually  Hitch's right hand woman, she felt neglected and taken for granted in her marriage, and rightfully so.

 

 

Mirren and Hopkins share a  great chemistry on screen. It is probably the most difficult kind of chemistry to capture.  They depict a couple that settle into the comfortable state of marriage.  Most of the film they look at each other with boredom, disappointment, and at times, with wry humor in their eyes.  But when they "connect" they light up the screen, and it is these moments that make you fall in love with their characters as well as the movie.



Scarlett Johannsen and Jessica Biel play Janet Leigh and Vera Miles.  They were both good but I feel almost any female actress in Hollywood could have played either role.

 

All in all, I loved the movie.  I took a half point off the A Grade because I was bothered by the recurring scenes in the film that depict Hitchcock's daydreams of the actual true life murderer that Psycho was based upon.  I felt it was distracting and unnecessary.

I highly recommend this movie and I have little doubt that Sir Anthony Hopkins as well as Dame Helen Mirren will be nominated for an Oscar. 

Grade:  F-
(and this is being kind)

I can take the violence, gore, plethora of "F" words, and drugs that riddled this film.  But the one thing that I couldn't tolerate in this movie is pure, raw, unadulterated boredom. The title should be changed to "Boring Them Quickly."
I can't even recommend this flick on video.

*****

Just want to make a small point... I chose Lincoln and Hitchcock.  The Mister chose Killing Me Softly.  

Enough said.


Hope your Monday is a good one.