Movie Notes: The Hours
= 4 stars
Starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore
Directed by Stephen Daldry
Synopsis
Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) writes the book Mrs. Dalloway, and repercussions are felt across two generations: depressed housewife Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) and a stressed-out mother Clarissa Vaughn (Meryl Streep) whose friend is dying of AIDS.
The Good
- An intertwining story structure keeps things varied and interesting, and the relationship between the stories is kept as a surprise.
- Excellent performances and some memorable scenes, namely Meryl Streep’s meltdown, and Nicole Kidman’s penetrating stand off with her husband at a train station. The supporting cast is also top-notch, with brief but expert appearances by Claire Danes, Toni Collette, and Jeff Daniels.
The Bad
- Think Sylvia Plath times three — the subject matter is undeniably introspective and depressing. Watching is an exercise in worry as to which character will attempt suicide next.
Conclusion
Just be forewarned of this film’s gloom. But what makes it worth seeing: the solid acting (especially the nearly unrecognizable Kidman), the revelation of how the plots are related, and a statement on the sometimes unpredictable influence of art.
IMDB: The Hours
Wikipedia: The Hours
Rotten Tomatoes: The Hours 80%
I thought I would hate this, so much that I avoided it until about a month and a half ago. While it wasn’t the brightest thing to watch on a cold, gloomy winter day, it was a lot better than I expected.
Yeah I definitely would say it’s a movie one should save until they’re “in the right mood” — it would be a real downer in the wrong circumstance. I went to see Million Dollar Baby knowing nothing about the ending and expecting something like Rocky. That was a surprise…
Yeah I definitely would say it’s a movie one should save until they’re “in the right mood” — it would be a real downer in the wrong circumstance. I went to see Million Dollar Baby knowing nothing about the ending and expecting something like Rocky. That was a surprise…
[…] not on DVD at the time. As for movies, all have been rentals — mostly the weekly 99 cent specials (The Hours, Escape From Alcatraz, Soul Plane, Ronin, Bulletproof Monk, A Guy Thing, Bandits) but I did pay […]