An entertaining and intelligent character study of famed director Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) and his film editor wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) as they collaborate in filming what would turn out to be one of the best films of all time.
After achieving both critical and commercial success in 1959's North by Northwest, Alfred Hitchcock was offered left to right films that producers want him to direct, among them an adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale but he refused all of them and insisted on doing a gruesome novel inspired by psychotic murderer Ed Gein called Psycho. Big studio refused to fund the project for it considers the book gruesome and exploitative.
From sourcing funds to film his dream project, to casting and defying the norm in film making, Hitchcock delivers the goods with the powerhouse duo of Oscar winners Hopkins and Mirren. Sir Anthony Hopkins does resemble him and Mirren gave life and vibrance to a true-to-life person in which most of us are not familiar of (including me). Their wit and affection for each other as their character gives the movie it's heart.
Scarlett Johansson is at her bombshell best as the actress Janet Leigh whom Hitchcock cast as a way to shock the moviegoers. Famous for being one of America's sweetheart, Leigh jumped on the iconic role of Marion Crane to mature as an actress and it did turn out well.
British actor James D'Arcy does resemble Anthony Perkins aka Norman Bates and Jessica Biel gives her best performance yet as actress Vera Miles.
Part fantasy but mostly a true story, Hitchcock is a great film about behind the scenes in the making of a great film.
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