Swiss documentary filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe has made a career out of making films about movies. Whether it’s 2017’s 78/52, an examination of Alfred Hitchcock’s famous shower scene in Psycho, his study of the influence of The Wizard of Oz on David Lynch’s films with 2022’s Lynch/Oz, or interviewing ninety-year-old William Shatner about his career in 2023’s You Can Call Me Bill, Philippe is clearly a film buff as he is a filmmaker. Philippe’s latest effort, Kim Novak’s Vertigo, has him interviewing the legendary star, the last survivor of the film that many consider the greatest ever, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo.
Philippe’s film begins with a voice note from Ms. Novak, ninety-one-years-old at the time of the recording, out of breath, recovering from a recent fall, and telling him she’s near the end. However, when we see her at her Oregon home (where the interview takes place), Ms. Novak is cognizant, and almost radiant. Philippe takes us through Ms. Novak’s life, including clips from her various films. Born Marilyn Novak in 1933, she stumbled into acting after a brief stint modeling for a refrigerator company. She was assigned the name Kim by dictatorial Columbia boss Harry Cohn, who referred to her as “the fat Polack,” mocking her Czech heritage.
Novak shudders at the thought of being a movie star, though she was a top box office draw from 1955 to 1958, starring in films like Picnic, The Man with the Golden Arm, Pal Joey, and of course, Vertigo. While Vertigo doesn’t define her, there’s no denying its importance to her career. One of the films’ best moments comes near the beginning. Ms. Novak and Philippe are going through carefully catalogued memorabilia, when the director hands the actress a box. She knows immediately what’s in it, the famous gray suit she wore as Madeleine and Judy in the Hitchcock classic. While she fought to retain who she was outside of Hollywood, Ms. Novak’s appreciation for her work on Vertigo is obvious, as is her affection for co-star James Stewart.
Anyone expecting anecdotes about co-stars will be sorely disappointed. Instead, Ms. Novak discusses her art (which covers the walls of her Oregon home), her love for animals, and her insecurity over how her father felt about her career choice. Oh, and how her mother, worried about having another mouth to feed, tried to abort her with a knitting needle. The film’s focus is strictly on Ms. Novak, and fans of the actress will likely find her honesty refreshing.
there are no extras.
