Movie Spoiler HITCHCOCK (after comments) starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren about the Making of Psycho

So, like a lot of films I poo-poo prematurely before I see them, I ended up enjoying Hitchcock (2012), the behind-the-scenes tale of the making of the classic Psycho, much more than I had anticipated.  At the very least, I could tolerate it much more than I ever could that painfully bad "shot-by-shot" remake directed by Gus Van Sant from 1998.  The scenes clipped along and Helen Mirren, as Hitchcock's put-upon wife Alma Reville, was, as one may expect, at her acerbic best.  She hits all her marks and makes the feature well worth your time.  The movie centers around Alma's relationship to the famous director.  She's a talented screenwriter, etc, and force to be reckoned with, but must bear the weight of her successful husband's shadow.  I'm not sure if a modern day evolved equivalent of this power couple exists, but wouldn't that be so cool if they did?  (Would that have been Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer when they were married?  Egads.)  While she feels neglected professionally as well as personally, her actions lead him to feel betrayed and fuels various obsessions.  His need for control coupled with his insecurities culminate in dream sequences which frame the feature, in some ways, involving real-life murderer Ed Geins, who inspired the novel Psycho is based on.  As this is a movie about a movie, there is plenty of stunt-casting with Norman Bates (James D'Arcy), Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson), and Vera Miles (Jessica Biel).  As a whole, director Sacha Gervasi's effort is much more entertaining and consistent than the comparable My Week With Marilyn from last year.  Marilyn was a disjointed mess of a thing, less dazzling then it would have liked to have been, but from it rose one incredible, naturalistic performance from Michelle Williams as the cinema icon.  Conversely, as the legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Hopkins offers little beyond mimicry, which seemed harmless at the time, but upon further thought, along with the questionably executed makeup, it was a stone's throw away from ridiculous and embarrassing   It's clear that while Williams worked from the inside out to create her Marilyn, Hopkins has taken the opposite direction.  

Anthony Hopkins made to look like Alfred Hitchcock

It will be interesting to see how successful the film will be at the box-office.  Generally, much to Hollywood's ignorance, dramatic movies involving Hollywood in the plot just don't generate much interest in mainstream filmgoers, unless there is some solid entertainment value (mobsters and crime), crowd-pleaser with universal appeal (the recent Argo), or novelty (Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The Artist).  Hitchcock, though, well-crafted, seems like its very specific characters will have limited appeal.  Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren will have some drawing power, and awards attention will help the film into the $30M  - $35M range, perhaps something more realistic in the $20M's.  As far as Oscar chances, the movie's MVP is clearly Mirren.  I'd be surprised if she didn't get nominated in a relatively weak year where she bats it out of the park in a film that offers her a higher profile than her fourth and previous nomination for The Last Station.  The AMPAS obviously love to nominate her and here is a prime opportunity.  I almost flirted with the idea that she could possibly win, but I doubt they're ready to give her a second statue.  I'd be disappointed if they nominated Hopkins, especially in such a strong year, but it's important to not allow personal bias to get in the way when trying to prognosticate.  Still, if he gets a nod, I'm not sure what to think.  Something tells me either the dubious Bradley Cooper or Hugh Jackman will prevent it from happening.  As far as the other actors, Scarlett Johansson's name has been bandied about.  I've never seen Janet Leigh in footage of just herself (or can't remember), so it's hard to judge, but, Johansson seemed awfully mannered.  Screenwriter John J. McLaughlin cowrote Black Swan, which was the only one of ten Best Picture nominees to not receive a Best Screenplay nod for 2010.  So, he's come close before, and while the story feels hollow at times, the writing is often pretty decent.  I'd put him in the mix for Best Adaptation, but not necessarily Top Five.  There are several multiple-nominees who worked behind the scenes, but there wasn't anything especially memorable, save for maybe the score.  After checking out Gold Derby, I see they also think Danny Elfman has a shot for his original music.  As well, the film might be up for makeup.  Um, remember For the Boys?  Okay, Hopkins' triple-chin wasn't as horrible as James Caan's bald head, but you're getting close.  It's one of those categories that sometimes limits itself to three nominees, though, so you never know where that branch will draw the line.  I say they draw it right over Hitchcock's chances.  God, that sounded bitchy.  You should definitely check them film out, even if you wait to rent it. 

The Great Helen Mirren as Alma Reville

Movie Spoiler

The movie starts with a scene from a farmhouse in 1944 Wisconsin, where Ed Gein (Michael Wincott) kills a man with a shovel.  It’s actually part of a moment from Alfred Hitchcock’s television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents depicting various murderous crimes in American history.  The camera turns to the famous icon sipping tea and then, bam, the film’s title placard.  The movie continues at the 1959 Chicago premiere of North By Northwest on the red carpet.  At home, Hitchcock reads a review in the bathtub as Alma readies herself.  They talk about the state of his career with Peggy (Toni Colette) while he receives a shave in his office at Paramount Studios.  Alma has a lunch date with her writer friend Whitfield “Whit” Cook (Danny Huston), where he hands her a script.  Hitchcock discusses Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho with Peggy, which is partially inspired by Ed Gein.  He acts disagreeable with his wife.  After a nightmare involving Gein, Hitchcock seeks solace in Alma.    Hitchcock shares a passage from Psycho prompting her to respond, “Charming, Doris Day should do it as a musical.”  Also, she advises him to kill off one of his main characters much earlier than the audience expects, which Hitchcock would famously end up doing and starting a trend that would be copied from then on in various horror films, as far down the road as nearly four decades later with the Scream franchise.  

James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins who played Norman Bates 
in the original Psycho; D'Arcy recently appeared in Cloud Atlas 
as Sixsmith during two different periods in his life

During a conference, Hitchcock hands out graphic pictures while announcing Psycho as he next film.  Whit pulls Alma into the kitchen.  Barney Balaban (Richard Portnow), head of Paramount, tries to steer Hitchcock away from the horror genre.  Hitchcock and Lew Wasserman (Michael Stuhlbarg) take a walk and discuss budget.  Alma takes a swim, before Hitchcock informs her that he needs to finance the film himself.  “Are we going to have to sell the whole house or just the pool?”  Lew informs Barney that Hitchcock is going full steam ahead with or without him; he jumps aboard.  Hitchcock and Alma talk in bed.  Hitchcock meets with screenwriter Joseph Stefano (Ralph Macchio).  Alma sends Hitchcock off to a meeting with the censor board.  He tries to reassure them cheekily about Janet Leigh’s shower scene, “She won’t be nude.  She’ll be wearing a shower cap.”  Hitchcock has a dream with Gein as his shrink.  Peggy and Alma go over headshots with Hitchcock for casting Norman Bates.  Hitchcock meets with Anthony Perkins (James D’Arcy), who is creepily similar to the Bates character.  Hitchcock and Alma work in their garden.  At a restaurant, Hitchcock and Alma meet with Janet Leigh for the role of Marion Crane.  Alma retreats to the restroom where she bumps into Lillian (Judith Hoag), the wife of a studio head.  Vera Miles (Jessica Biel), who will play Lila Crane, arrives on set.  She's under contract and has a previous history with Hitchcock on his television show as well as The Wrong Man; he spies on her through a peephole ala Bates in Psycho. 

In their kitchen, Alma hands Hitchcock a list of necessary cost-cutting measures due to the self-financing of his new film.  During a dream sequence, Gein drags a woman’s corpse.  Hitchcock walks with Anthony, Janet, and Vera onto set.  The director leads an oath with cast and crew, right-hand raised, “I do solemnly promise, that I will not divulge, the plots or the many secrets of Psycho, to friends, relatives, strange reporters, or to the outgoing president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.”  Alma works on revisions at home.  At a clothing store, she buys a red swimming suit, and takes a dip in the pool. 

Josh, Yowsers!

On set, Hitchcock works with Anthony, and Janet and John Gavin (Josh Yeo), who plays her boyfriend.  Alma works with Peggy on the script before Whit pulls her aside.  Hitchcock spies on the two of them.  Hitchcock surprises Alma at home.  Janet shoots the car scene, and the background projection melts.  Vera visits Janet in her dressing room, and a curious Hitchcock walks by.  On set, Hitchcock tries to contact Alma, who is on the phone with Whit.  He finally reaches her, but hangs up.  He goes a little mad, and Barney doesn’t help matters by demanding to see completed footage of his film.  Whit and Alma drive up Highway 101.  Janet gives Hitchcock a ride home in her Volkswagen Beetle and they share candy corn.  At his beach house, Whit offers Alma a writer’s escape.  At home, Alma drops an earring on a picture of Grace Kelly.  Hitchcock finds the script she’s working on and gorges himself with food.  He shares his unfavorable opinion of her work.  

Scarlett Johansson reacts to having to watch Jessica Biel act

During the filming of the infamous shower scene, Hitchcock becomes possessed while taking swipes at Janet with the knife to elicit the desired reaction.  He imagines all of the demons who plague him frightening Janet.  After it’s finished, an empathetic Vera shares a glance with a visible shaken Janet.  Hitchcock falls ill.  Alma and Whit almost share a kiss, but she has to return home to tend to her husband.  Barney shows up on set with a temporary replacement, even though Alma has matters under control.  While laid up in bed, Hitchcock imagines Gein showing him the sand on the floor left by Alma from her activity at the beach house.  Janet pulls Alma over.  Hitchcock watches cartoons set to classical music.  He confronts Alma by pouring out a small container of sand and accuses her of cheating on him.   It leads to an argument, where Mirren gives her bravura Oscar clip scene, “We’ve mortgaged our house … I’m your wife, I celebrate with you when the reviews are good, I cry for you when they are bad.  And I put up with those people who look through me as if I were invisible because all they can see is the great and glorious genius Alfred Hitchcock.”  Vera films her final scene.  At the beach house, Alma walks in on Whit and his girlfriend.  Executives watch rushes of the film.  Hitchcock has more nightmares involving Gein.  More domestic business which includes Hitchcock pouring brandy into the dish of his dogs. 

Jessica Biel reacting
to her own acting

There’s a montage involving editing the film; a meeting with the censors follows.  Filming wraps.  With a lead-up to the premier, there is a big promotional push and to-do involving theater managers giving ushers very specific instructions on insuring maximum viewing pleasure.  On opening night, Hitchcock watches the audience and then, in the lobby, makes like he’s conducting a symphony as they react to the shower scene.  The film gets everyone talking and turns out to be a huge hit.  The final scene is a clever allusion to Hitchcock’s next film, The Birds.  Roll credits.  



Movie Spoiler Summary Hitchcock
Movie Spoiler Hitchcock
Movie Spoilers Hitchcock
Spoiler Hitchcock
Spoilers Hitchcock
Hitchcock Movie Spoiler
Hitchcock Movie Spoilers
Hitchcock Movie Spoiler Summary
Hitchcock Movie Spoilers Summary
Hitchcock Spoiler
Hitchcock Spoilers