Hollywood voyeurism. If this were about a nobody it would raise hardly any interest as a plot, unless it were told with more interest and intrigue. I'm glad it is limited to one part of Hitch's career but at the same time the movie doesn't take advantage of the collapsed time. Hopkins' makeup is unconvincing and distracting! Personally, I wished more had been revealed of composer Bernard Hermann's part in Hitchcock's success.

Hitchcock was a passable and average film. I noted one reviewer said the film was better when it looked at the filming of Psycho as opposed to Hitchcock's marital relations, I couldn't agree more. Hitchcock is perhaps one of the greatest directors of all time. His innovative techniques and style brought a new experience to film as he cared about the film experience. Hence we had a degree of voyeurism as it was a lens for the audience to perceive the film and experience it. It was a nice glimpse into history to see the making of Psycho and the hurdles Alfred Hitchcock jumped to get it across the line. A sad truth about the film industry where reputation still wasn't good enough and Hitch had to pay for it himself. Anthony Hopkins is passable as Hitchcock as he somewhat resembles his stature and appearance and sounds like him. However he was not entirely convincing at being Hitch. Still, I am unsure who else could have played with role. The strength of the film was the behind the scenes film making of Psycho and its weakness was the marital problems with Hitch and Alma. Sadly the majority was about his marriage. Perhaps a better director with more flair that Hitch himself would appreciate could have directed this. I felt all the ingredients were there to make a great film but it was poorly 'cut' and put together.

I had really low expectations for this movie going in. I hate it when big name actors in the autumn of their years go in for playing dress up, putting on lots of makeup and pretending to be legendary icons. I was really dreading Anthony Hopkins in a fat suit for two hours, walking around saying "Good Evening," in a phony Hitchcock voice. Funnily enough, I was right that Hopkins as Hitchcock was mostly mannerism and very little real emotion. But surrounding him is the most amazing cast, and they bring together a miracle -- a story of warmth and humor about the making of a truly ghastly film, Hitchcock's PSYCHO. Although Helen Mirren receives most of the attention as Hitchock's patient, long suffering wife Alma, (looking pained and thoughtful in every scene, even when she's trying on a new bathing suit) it's really the younger ladies who steal the show. Scarlett Johannson is an enchanting Janet Leigh -- sexy, playful, eager to please, obviously very ambitious but fun-loving and friendly as well. Jessica Biel is even more amazing as Vera Miles, the "bad girl" who said no to Hitchcock and refuses to back down before him on the set of his latest film. With only a small part, Jessica Biel still conjures up an air of mystery and allure, defiance and enigmatic power. Hitchcock hates that he can't own her, like the make believe women in his movies. Yet the viewer ends up loving her for that very reason!The truth is, as a story about Hitchcock himself this movie isn't much. It's his amazing team that comes to life. James D'Arcy barely gets five minutes as Anthony Perkins, the twitchy and closeted boy actor who made Norman Bates into a legend. Yet D'Arcy plays Perkins with such absolute and utter assurance that you wish the whole movie was about him. The same with Michael Stuhlbarg, (Arnold Rothstein in the HBO series BOARDWALK EMPIRE) who plays Hitchcock's long time agent and business manager. These guys walk off with every scene and are just as powerful as the ladies! Oddly enough, this movie reminded me less of PSYCHO and more of KING LEAR. You have an aging titan, a king who wants to control everyone around him. And all of the lesser characters have to find their own path to independence, obeying and setting limits, defying but showing loyalty. It's easy to see how Janet Leigh becomes the "good" daughter in Hitchcock's imagination, like Cordelia, while Vera Miles becomes the "bad" daughter, like Regan and Goneril. But unlike in Lear both daughters learn how to assert themselves while helping the king to regain his throne. It's an oddly warm and touching story set against the making of a nightmare film. Favorite scene: Hitchcock, telling Tony Perkins that he's "peeping" at the naked woman in the shower. James D'Arcy looks so sweet and helpless (and gay) saying, "Mr. Hitchcock, why would Norman want to look at that woman in the shower?" And Janet Leigh is so naughty and sexy, saying, "I feel very insulted by that question!" But the minute she sees how clueless Tony Perkins is, she shifts gear and comes right to his rescue. ("Maybe this is a ritual for him. Maybe this reminds him of his mother!") It's so funny, so sweet, so sad, and it actually helps you understand how PSYCHO was made. Now why did I give this movie seven stars instead of nine or ten? Well, I was right about how bad Tony Hopkins looks in a fat suit. He's really just phoning it in. And Helen Mirren is just irritating as the endlessly put-upon wife. Who, for some strange reason, has the most amazing collection of eyeglasses this side of Elton John! Did anyone else notice she wears a different pair in every scene? And they all look very, very Nineties, not at all the early Sixties! Oh, and her reddish brown wig is on crooked in a lot of scenes too. Little things like that are all that keep HITCHCOCK from being a true gem!

Tonally scattershot, clumsily zipping between frothy comedy, melodrama and... whatever that was with Hitch's imaginary conversations with Ed Gein. It's also a bit thin and lacks true insight. But despite this, it still delivers a (mostly) entertaining, if fantastical, look at Hitchcock making his most iconic film ('Psycho'). Hopkins plays Hitchcock mostly as a caricature, but it works well with the material. Mirren balances this out with a more grounded performance, and a good supporting cast do just that. I can't help but believe with the talent assembled there was a better film in here somewhere, but for what it is, 'Hitchcock' is a decent little cupcake of a movie.