The cult of Hitch

Two Alfred Hitchcock projects are poised to face off, giving fans the opportunity to see the London-born director at separate junctures in his career. The first, The Girl, takes place during the production of The Birds in 1963. Starring Toby Jones, the HBO/BBC collaboration renders the Hollywood heavyweight as a villain who tormented actress Tippi Hedren by demanding sexual favors from her then subjecting her to a grueling five-day shoot after his advances were rejected. Sienna Miller plays the model-turned-novice actress who would go on to star in yet another Hitchcock movie, 1964’s Marnie, alongside Sean Connery.
The other, Hitchcock, details the troubles — both personal and professional — that the iconic producer faced while creating Psycho in 1960. This is the period in which Hitch, replicated here by Anthony Hopkins, turned his back on the thrillers that had brought him so much success. As he struggled to secure financing from skeptical studio executives, he recruited most of the crew from his television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents to cut costs. Alma Reville, his wife and collaborator, has a greater presence in this big screen biopic, which should no doubt please Helen Mirren’s followers.     
Hint of intrigue
That Hedren, now 82, publicly endorsed The Girl — as reported in Variety — the cable TV movie a halo of integrity and a hint of intrigue. The choice to cast Toby Jones as the portly cultural icon was also inspired since the actor, best known as the voice of Dobby in the Harry Potter franchise, appears more convincing. Though clearly talented, Hopkins is too famous at this point to truly disappear into character, and merely comes across as a man in makeup and a fat suit.
Alfred Hitchcock loved enlisting striking leading ladies and going by the trailers, Sienna Miller would’ve caught his eye. The British starlet is celebrated for her style than her acting ability, but her turn in The Girl — as a young socialite besieged by a swarm of violent seagulls — may finally be the start on a more serious path. That said, I could never buy Scarlett Johansson impersonating Janet Leigh impersonating Marilyn Monroe in Hitchcock since she seems to have been included to make the version bankable and Oscar-worthy. (Let’s not even bring up Jessica Biel.) Although I’d rather sit through a film by the great showman than one about him, I eventually plan to catch both versions.
21st century attention span
As a Hitchcock neophyte, I initially found his work a challenge to my 21st-century attention span. But as I continue to familiarize myself with his filmography — so far I’ve seen Rear Window, Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo and North By Northwest — I’m beginning to see the deft blend of sex and humor he introduced to the suspense genre. I’ve only begun To Catch A Thief and I’m already in awe of everything, from Hal Pereira’s masterful art design to Edith Head’s brilliant costumes for Grace Kelly.
The witty banter between the future Monégasque princess, as rich American girl Frances Stevens, and Cary Grant, as retired cat burglar John Robie, is filled with the sort of eloquence I aspire to possess. (John: “Oh no, you’re a jackpot of admirable character traits.” Francie: “I already knew that.”) This interplay of characters, everyday men wrongly accused of crimes they didn’t commit and icy, blonde heroines, is apparently one Hitchcockian signature.
Anyway, if a new public service announcement is to be believed, Alfred Hitchcock does not like it when people use their cell phones in movie theaters. Well and good, but how was the master of suspense, dead for more than 30 years, able to accomplish such a feat? Simple: it was Anthony Hopkins doing an autopilot impression. While the marketing ploy is clever and unexpected, it’s ironic that the promotional clip uploaded to YouTube was recorded on a mobile. It’s a twist worthy of one of cinema’s most enigmatic artists.
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