2012's Alfred Hitchcock biopic garnered mixed reviews, and justifiably so. It's a questionable film with a somewhat strained storyline focusing on the director's relationship with his wife, but one thing that the film does have going for it is its cast. Its an A-List star-studded production with top-notch performances throughout (though HBOs own Hitchcock film The Girl, released only a month earlier, does give it a run for its money). But never mind Hopkins and Mirren in the lead roles, because its Scarlett Johansson who steals every scene she appears in. As Janet Leigh, the lead actress in Hitchock's Psycho, Johansson's part isn't a big one, admittedly, but she plays it with an effortless sexiness throughout, and brings to life a character that, truth be told, could very easily have been a boring one. She later praised the make-up and wardrobe team for helping her to slip into the role so effectively, and given her remarkable likeness on-screen, its easy to see why. Special mention goes to the restaurant scene in which Leigh expresses concern over the upcoming nude shower sequence. Whether they would care to admit it or not, it's the sequence that every man (or woman) in the audience is waiting for. Graciously, Hitchock assures us with a sly grin that it will be positively "titillating".
