Alfred Hitchcock never won an Oscar. I thought, after all the Awards' Season popcorn dust settled the master of suspense would achieve a little posthumous payback in the guise of Anthony Hopkins' recognition. But the two time Oscar winner, who plays Hitch with honey-glazed ham homage in the uneven, but ultimately delicious "
Hitchcock," has so far been shut out of the biggies ( Globes, SAGs).
Helen Mirren, who glams up Hitchcock's long suffering wife and creative collaborator Alma Reville, has so far, fetched all the glory with a slew of noms. And, in many ways, the film is a tribute to Alma's contributions to the classic film making operation. The film, which focuses on the Hitchcocks' relationship during the making of "
Psycho" meanders a bit, particularly when it shows Hitch in imaginary counseling sessions with Ed Gein( Norman Bates' real-life inspiration) as therapist. Still it's a compelling, witty, often generous portrait of both Hitchcock and his wife. And, dare I say, far more entertaining than the much ballyhooed, Oscar-bound "
Lincoln."
But Hitch may still get his due this season. Toby Jones, the diminutive British actor, rode the balcony a few years ago when his turn as Truman Capote took a back seat to Phillip Seymour Hoffman's portrait largely because "
Capote" came out a year before the lighter "
Infamous" ( now a cult fave; if you haven't seen it, it's a must add for your DVD list) hit the big screen. This year, Jones, who stars as Hitch in the smaller and far creepier "
The Girl," HBO's brilliant but very dark exploration into Hitchcock's psyche as seen through his obsession with Tippi Hedren during the making of "
The Birds," has scored noms from both the Globes and Screen Actors' Guild.
And if that's not enough Hitchcock, A&E is set to run a series called "
Bates Motel" billed as a prequel to "
Psycho." The master of suspense would surely find all this renewed fascination very fascinating.
Drive safe. Play nice. Think peace.
aba
