HBO’s The Girl tells the tale of Alfred Hitchcock’s relationship with the screen star Tippi Hedren - played by Sienna Miller. The story itself seems to be the real winner here; the TV movie explores the theory that Hitchcock (played by Toby Jones) “behaved like a psychotic lout” towards Tippi Hedren during the two films that they made together (The Birds and Marnie).
When Hedren spurns Hitchcock’s sexual advances, he uses his directorial power to torture her. When filming The Birds, he insists that she films take after take of the scenes in which she is attacked by birds. He does his best to break her spirit but ultimately, she remains strong and ultimately retains the upper hand.
New York Daily News have praised the feature, saying that Miller and Jones’ performances “keep the story alive and moving,” though Jones’ Hitchcock has but one dimension: “an arrogant egomaniac who was unpleasant to everyone around him.” Imelda Staunton is landed with the role of his unenviable wife, portrayed here as an “enabler” of his torrid behavior. The power of this disturbing story, according to chron.com is so fierce that you will be left feeling like you need to take a shower afterwards. According to their report though, Toby Jones’ performance is caricatured and lacking in authenticity.
There’s a great deal of interest around Hitchcock at the moment, what with the forthcoming release of ‘Hitchcock,’ starring Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren. That film also explores Hitchcock’s life behind the camera – notably his relationship with his wife during the filming of Psycho. That cinematic release will undoubtedly be turning a few more heads than HBO’s TV drama but this provides an interesting insight into a creepy man, known for his creepy films and acts as an excellent precursor to the forthcoming movie.
Based on a true story, it's the historical aspect of these events that holds the...
Colonel Percy Fawcett is an ambitious British explorer who, come 1925, plans to take a...
Ben Affleck launched his directing career 10 years ago with his film of Dennis Lehane's...
In 1925, a British explorer named Colonel Percy Fawcett disappeared in the Amazon rainforest with...
Joe Coughlin was born and raised in a good family, his father was the police...
After a string of award-winning arthouse hits like Kill List and A Field in England,...
'If only we had enough money to move to a bigger house', an ongoing predicament...
Strong characters help hold the attention as this overcooked drama develops, but in the end...
As the story snakes south through the United States along the Mississippi River, this movie...
Gerry's gambling addiction has gotten way out of hand. He's already lost everything in his...
Restauranteering is not a profession that should be taken lightly. Indeed, it's less of a...
Sometimes, the greatest hiding place is in plain sight. For twelve years from the mid-1990s,...
More than just a misfire, this attempt at a rude comedy goes so spectacularly wrong...