The Girl
Dir: Julian Jarrold
2012
****
I'm a a big fan of Hitchcock but I don't know whether I believe this turn of events or not, so my review is certainly not based on whether I believe it or not but rather on the film itself. I'll start by saying I thought it was brilliant. The direction is beautiful, it looked so good with a mix of classic early 60's camera techniques and nods towards the great director himself. The cast is great, Imelda Staunton, Penelope Wilton and Carl Beukes put in great performances in their supporting roles but Toby Jones and Sienna Miller are on brilliant form. I've long been a fan of Sienna Miller, the media are always putting her down, for no good reason either, and it has always overshadowed her fantastic acting achievements. Much like Tippi Hedren in The Birds, Miller really proves herself. Toby Jones is also another brilliant actor who seems to be overshadowed, often by the fact he always seems to have direct competition in roles he plays, usually a few months earlier to take all the credit and interest. He is so much more than a funny looking slightly overweight gentleman, he is a fantastic acting talent. It is a shame people can't see past the fact he doesn't (and never really could) look like Hitchcock. They miss the fact that he has got his mannerisms down to a tee, most notably his walk. He sounds just like him too and I thought he did a fantastic job. Made for TV films aren't supposed to be this good!