We travel back in time and in Hollywood some 53 years ago where the renowned Alfred Hitchcock has just released "North by NorthWest" and is on the lookout for his next project although being 60 is, to many back in the day, retirement age.
Anthony Hopkins is, simply put, outstanding in this role. The creativity, the frustration, the utter madness is all there on the viewer's plate. The references to Hitchcock's misogyny and masochism are subtly but nonetheless present. His uber-weird/creative relationship with his wife which was pivotal in his career is also well portrayed.
Had it not been for one of the greatest films ever, Psycho, there would have been a temptation to just treat this as simply another behind the scenes documentary of the pain and trials of filmmaking. What gives "Hitchcock" an edge is the fact that an established filmmaker had to go to extra lengths to get his project done which turned out to be pivotal in the history of cinema. That gave me plenty to think about in terms of viewpoints, expectations, creativity versus the shrewd business world etc.
One thing that deprives this movie of extra points, is the title as it is not solely about Hitchcock not quite about the making of Psycho, although I can see the studios feeling gratified in the pursuit of a catchy title.
In any case, this film is to be cherished so sit back and enjoy the journey in time, behind the scenes and a bit inside the mind of a cinema master.
Anthony Hopkins is, simply put, outstanding in this role. The creativity, the frustration, the utter madness is all there on the viewer's plate. The references to Hitchcock's misogyny and masochism are subtly but nonetheless present. His uber-weird/creative relationship with his wife which was pivotal in his career is also well portrayed.
Had it not been for one of the greatest films ever, Psycho, there would have been a temptation to just treat this as simply another behind the scenes documentary of the pain and trials of filmmaking. What gives "Hitchcock" an edge is the fact that an established filmmaker had to go to extra lengths to get his project done which turned out to be pivotal in the history of cinema. That gave me plenty to think about in terms of viewpoints, expectations, creativity versus the shrewd business world etc.
One thing that deprives this movie of extra points, is the title as it is not solely about Hitchcock not quite about the making of Psycho, although I can see the studios feeling gratified in the pursuit of a catchy title.
In any case, this film is to be cherished so sit back and enjoy the journey in time, behind the scenes and a bit inside the mind of a cinema master.