Starring Alistair McGowan

Written and Directed by Mark Cousins 

Dogwoof, in cinemas now.

A ‘personal’ exploration of the cinema of Alfred Hitchcock, narrated by the Master of Suspense himself. Sort of.

Immensely likeable though he is, I’ve always struggled with Mark Cousins’ films. I think it’s his voice. It’s so soft and gorgeous, I find myself drifting off within minutes. Thankfully this isn’t a problem anyone will have with My Name is Alfred Hitchcock, where impressionist and much underrated actor, Alistair McGowan, gives not just voice, but real heart, to the auteur as he takes us on a journey through his cinematic oeuvre.

It’s a decent enough conceit, which adds a certain freshness to many familiar themes we’ve seen explored elsewhere many times – although Cousins seems to think he’s being a bit more original than he is. Where the documentary is at its most enlightening is in its exploration of Hitchcock’s early talkies and silent work. Where perhaps it stumbles, is that it’s hard to get this particular construction of Hitchcock to say difficult things about himself, and that renders much of Cousins’ analysis a tad bland and unadventurous.

There are also some strange and rather awkward modern visual ‘inserts’ which are poorly executed and don’t add anything to the thesis.

Verdict: For all its faults, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock is an enjoyable watch. McGowan is an utterly captivating vocal presence, and it does remind us of Hitch’s technical brilliance, if nothing else. 6/10

Martin Jameson

www.ninjamarmoset.com