Anthony Hopkins’ performance as Alfred Hitchcock  in Hitchcock  has met with some derision.  A few reviewers said that his performance was “mannered” and “false”.  Some seemed to think that it was a caricature of Alfred Hitchcock rather than a portrait of a real man.

Every film and every character in every film is open to interpretation.  Sacha Gervasi chose some unusual camera angles from which to shoot the character of Alfred Hitchcock but he also shot the character Wilt from similar angles.  It gave the perspective of looking inside the person.
Just a short excursion into Alfred Hitchcock’s life and work reveals that he was formidable at self-promotion.  He knew the impact of image.  Perhaps this is how he was in real life?  Looking at footage of the late Alfred Hitchcock, it does seem that the only exercise he ever got was when he spoke.  Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of him emphasised his use of lips, this relishing of the spoken word, this need for people to listen and understand him.  According to what we saw in Hitchcock, this need to be appreciated and this need to be heard were not generally given to him.   His outbursts of rage and uncontrolled eating illustrated this brilliantly.  I thought it was a great story.