a remake of a successful movie can be a tricky business at best while to remake a true classic and especially one that be veritably the definitive film of a director like alfred hitchcock and be something else again . and after watch this version of ` psycho and direct by gus van sant and two thing come to mind immediately represent what the point and and what on earth be they think . especially in light of the fact that van sant use the same screenplay ( by joseph stefano and take from the novel by robert bloch ) that hitchcock use . the final result here underscore some of the finer point of the art of filmmaking represent first and that a ` remake should be just that while a retooling of the original and rather than a ` copy use new player while and second and that shoot in color and use more blood and be a bit more graphic do little more than detract from the impact of the film . although this be a noble effort by van sant and ironically in the end it suffer from the same flaw with which norma bates be afflict represent the ` mind of the film be divide while half be hitchcock and half van sant . and the twain and though met and shall never be bind . van sant and even work from the original script and would have be good off make his own film all the way through rather than attempt to duplicate exactly what hitchcock do with certain scene . the opening shot of the movie and for instance and and especially the hower scene and arguably one of the most famous scene in the history of the cinema . copy hitchcock and from the shot look directly into the shower head to the one of the drain and and use the same kree . skree . skree . sound effect even a homage to hitchcock again and only distract from the story . and and if you factor in the performance of william h. macy ( a private eye arbogast ) and you have yet another split in the psyche of the film . macy be a terrific actor one of the best character actor in the business and his performance here be excellent while but as good a it be and the attitude and delivery be pure david mamet ( with whom he have work many time ) and and seemingly out of context with what van sant be do . so the film wind up with a triple personality disorder represent hitchcock and van sant and mamet . i felt like i be watch ` house of good will psycho game . as far a performance go and macy be as solid a they come and and anne heche ( marion crane ) do a good job of create an original character and escape the trap of attempt an imitation of janet leigh . the weak link be viggo mortensen ( sam ) and who make marion boyfriend so smarmy and unappealing it make you wonder why she have anything to do with him in the first place while and vince vaughn and who to put it as delicately a possible be simply awful a norman bates . his whole performance be that of an actor play a role ( and not very convincingly at that ) while affect effeminate mannerism and punctuate his speech with pontaneous burst of maniacal laughter make his norman more of a caricature than a character and altogether unbelievable and pretentious . it give the movie the feel of a reenactment of a ` true incident you would see on a television show while it would have be entirely in keep with the sensibility of the film to cut away from norman sit alone in his parlor to a shot of a sober face peter graf and intone and ` such be the mind set of norman bates on that fateful and rainy night when marion crane step out of her car and into his life the support cast include julianne moore ( lila ) and robert forster ( dr. simon ) and philip baker hall ( sheriff al chamber ) and anne haney ( mrs. chamber ) and chad everett ( tom cassidy ) and rance howard ( mr. lowery ) and rita wilson ( caroline ) and james remar ( patrolman ) and james legros ( charlie the car dealer ) . if nothing else and van sant ` psycho be a curiosity that go to show that have a good director and a predominantly excellent cast and a script that be a proven commodity do not necessarily insure a success . grant and todays era of psycho babble and ` american psycho and hannibal lecter have effectively take the edge off of a character like norman bates somewhat while but there be still a singular intimacy in this particular story of the relationship between norman and his mother and his victim that will forever remain inherently disturb and terrify while but van sant be unable to convey that sense of dread and that throat clench fear and with this film . if ever there be a movie make that should have be earmark straight to video and this be it . well still and have it never be bear . i rate this one negative .