Delirium | 9th February 2013 03:03 PM | Hitchcock
As much as I love Toby Jones, I found his creepy and lecherous portrayal of Hitch in The Girl to be exceedingly cynical and caricatured. Not Jones' fault, I'm sure, and he was no doubt directed that way - they obviously intended Hitchcock to be played as a lascivious old perv. It was, after all, Tippi Hedren's version of events. It also didn't surprise me that it resulted in outcry from a number of ex-Hitch actresses. The fact is it made bold claims without offering much in the way of insight, reasoning or balance. I don't mind seeing a darker side of Hitch, but The Girl felt like a cheap way to make a quick buck by milking the word of an actress who has decided to 'out' a director who can no longer defend himself; a build up of rumour and conjecture.
Those expecting something a little more substantial from Hitchcock will likely remain disappointed. It's superficial, but at least attempts some balance. Personally I feel neither Hopkins or Jones effectively nailed Hitchcock's imitable person, but then my basis for comparison is limited. I enjoyed the focus on his relationship with his wife (played with the usual aplomb by Helen Mirren) and its recognition of her role in the Hitchcock legacy. I also enjoyed the light touches regarding the making of Psycho (as I did the scenes of The Birds in The Girl). As a light and fanciful snapshot of an interesting period in his life, it's fine, but it's also slight, lacks depth and fails to hold up to scrutiny. It reminded me of the rather breezy My Weekend With Marilyn as far as character studies go. Perfectly adequate as light entertainment, but contains little to get one's teeth into. And for an iconic a character as old Hitch, that's really quite unfortunate. |