A look at the art of Alfred Hitchcock

Along with lots of others, I regard Alfred Hitchcock as one of cinema’s greatest directors, a wry genius who  merged the art of cinema with storytelling mastery. Few directors could match Hitchcock’s facility for filming interior spaces. Although he supposedly didn’t revere actors, he obtained great performances from Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Fonda, and more.  The documentary My Name is Alfred Hitchcock quickly establishes itself as essential viewing for movie fans. Director Mark Cousins uses a novel idea to good advantage. Hitchcock, actually an unseen Alistair McGowan in a pitch-perfect impression, narrates the film with mischievous wit and intelligence. Cousins’ documentary includes clips from early films such as The Ring, as well as scenes from Vertigo, Spellbound, The Wrong Man, and Psycho. Cousins divides the movie into six sections: escape, desire, loneliness, time, fulfillment, and height. I’m not going to detail the analysis Cousins provides, but if you want to know how the great movie magician made his magic, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock will show you. Cousins relied on his knowledge of Hitchcock to create the illusion that Hitchcock was letting us in on his secrets -- and it works. My Name is Alfred Hitchcock makes a well-seasoned addition to the Hitchcock canon and an invitation to again return to Hitchcock's filmography.