Film Review - Hitchcock - Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchock

Hitchcock a partial biopic on one period of the famous film director's life is a pleasureable, easy to watch film on screen with the lead roles expertly handled by Anthony Hopkins (as Alfred Hitchcock), Helen Mirren (as Alma Reville, Hitchcock's wife) and Scarlett Johansson (as actress, Janet Leigh). The one period covered in this partial biopic is the story choice and shooting of Hitchcock's well regarded seminal film, Psycho. Sacha Gervasi's film has attracted a strong level of criticism for adopting too much poetic license with creating an excessive importance for various characters who were real life people - Alma Reville is represented as being a critical player in both writing the screenplay for Psycho as well as stepping-in as director when Hitchcock is unwell at home in bed although none of this is accurate. Hitchcock himself is represented as being a voyeur, insecure in his sexuality and with his own professional confidence as a film director. Hitchcock purists particularly find this proposition an anathema and see the film as selling the master film maker too short. The film nonetheless is enjoyable to watch with strong performances by the leads with opening and closing scenes reminiscent of Hitchcock's own narrative style for story framing.