An audacious proposal, writer/director Mark Cousins (The Story of Film) reveals the secrets of the master of suspense’s most famous techniques and motifs, all delivered from the horse’s mouth. Well, almost. The words are from Cousins and the delivery is provided by impressionist Alistair McGowan. He makes a decent fist of mimicking Hitch’s distinctive drawl, but at no point did it convince us we were listening to the great director himself (watching all those introductions to his eponymous TV anthology made his voice unmistakable). Much like the recent documentary The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee, which used similar faux narration, it’s a gimmick that wears thin as the film progresses.
Fortunately, the content of the dialogue is priceless, particularly if you’re a film student or have a particular interest in cinematic techniques. Talking us through various recurring themes that he used in his work. Sections on escape, desire, loneliness, time, fulfilment, and height provide a mini masterclass in filmmaking. Where Cousins shies away is revealing too much about the director’s personal life, particularly his demons and the situations he has been accused of. We agree that it may have been rather crass to go over these things in what is a celebration, but there must have been a way to shoe-horn it in during the mock director’s thoughts. Particularly when discussing scenes including Tippi Hedren.
That aside, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock provides an enlightening look at the master’s oeuvre and how he managed to evoke such powerful emotions from his audience.
MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK is available on digital platforms now.
