Hitchcock

A month or so ago, Moose and I stopped off at the grocery store and decided to see if there was anything worthwhile in the Redbox machine. The last four times we’ve looked we haven’t gotten anything. As we were scrolling through the various options I caught sight of HITCHCOCK. Since Moose and I had recently discussed how much we’ve enjoyed the Hitchcock films we’ve seen, I put it in the basket on a whim. With nothing else planned for the evening we decided to give it a try.

HITCHCOCK is a Hollywood “documentary” of Alfred Hitchcock’s life during the filming of PYSCHO. I can’t tell you how much of the movie is completely factual, but when I checked some of the facts later, I think they did a decent job. The movie was released in 2012.

The things that draw me in: The cast (with one exception). Boy oh boy, was I impressed, especially with Anthony Hopkins who played Hitchcock. I have seen several episodes of the TV series, and I thought that Anthony Hopkins was spot on. He would tilt his head back and give the impression of looking down his nose despite looking up at other people. I also thought the actor who played the actor who played Bates (I couldn’t resist), did a really good job. He looked exactly like Bates it took me by surprise.

I liked the story. As Larry would say “I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob.” I didn’t expect to get that involved in the movie that I picked on a whim. For those of you who are wondering, it is not a horror, it is a drama. It doesn’t actually show any actual film of PYSCHO, though it will give some of the surprises away. So, if you want to see PYSCHO watch it before you see HITCHCOCK.

What I enjoyed most is how much I came to appreciate Alfred Hitchcock’s films more. I have always been a fan of his. (My mother showed us NORTH BY NORTHWEST when we were young. It is her favorite. I have watched nearly a dozen of his films and enjoyed pretty much all of them.) I never thought Hollywood that glamorous. In fact I pity most celebrities because they have no personal life. Hitchcock was married to a woman named Alma. Alma in her own right was very talented and good at her job. This film shows some of the discord between then during stressful times of filming. I wish I had known about her sooner because of everything she’s done.

The things that kick me out: There was one actress that I thought could have been cast better. Part of the problem was she wasn’t really her character, but the same she has been in all of the films I’ve seen her in.

There are a few parts where Hitchcock is hallucinating, and I thought they were just a bit overboard. It wasn’t bad, but I thought it could have been a little less extravagant.

Conclusion
Should you watch it? If you are a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, yes. If you have always been curious about Hitchcock, yes. If you like drama or character driven stories, yes.

Should you buy it? I will if I find it for a good price. I know I will want to watch it again.