Diseases? Check. Feministic over-tones? Check. Lesbianism? Check. Meryl Streep? Check. This seems like the perfect recipe for `lurid chick-flick-of-the-week', but `The Hours' is something far deeper and captivating. Two immediate thumbs-up for originality. Not only does David Hare adapt the famous story by Virginia Woolf; he also intertwines two different stories that criss-cross in the most engaging style possible. Each story gets a rousing treatment with an equal proportion of attention divided among them.
The first takes us to 1923, New England where mentally unstable novelist Virginia Woolf is writing `Mrs. Dalloway'. In the second, Laura Brown, an unhappy housewife is reading the book in Hollywood in 1951. In the third, Clarissa Vaughn finds herself becoming the character in modern day Manhattan. British director brings the movie depth and meaning as the plots unfold and interact in a thoroughly earnest and believable manner. Of course there are those that complain that the film is made up of a series of `they'll show this clip for my Oscar nomination' moments, but this isn't enough to really hold a grudge against it. Okay, perhaps it is manipulative in that sense but it was hardly intentional.
Technical credits are surprisingly terrific all round. In particular, the silky, brazen editing cleverly switches from one scene to the other with the just right amount of emphasis on key elements. Scenery, cinematography and costume designs are spectacular as well. Though hardly breath-taking compared to `Chicago' and `Gangs of New York', the alternating sets are magnificently detailed. Such is the case with the image of Hollywood in 1951. Always sunny and seductive, there is a perfect overbearing of cleanliness in the idyllic household and crystal clear roads. The solemnities of the plots really go right to the core. The subtext is hidden far enough to consider the film `sophisticated' and every little detail, no matter how irrelevant is chosen for a reason.
But the main power is generated by the host of superlative performances. Nicole Kidman of course won an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf (not to mention the heavy prosthetics). Though the performance is convincing, it is too small to consider in the `Best Actress' category. Meryl Streep gives the expected fine delivery and is as mesmerising as one would come to expect. It must have been tough for Julianne Moore to pull off her part. Mainly because she has played the same variation on the `disillusioned wife' character so many times. But she really makes this role her own, totally different from her character in say, `Magnolia', thus she is a brilliant character actress. Support is noteworthy all across the board from the likes of Miranda Richardson, John C. Reilly and Jeff Daniels; the best supporting turn coming from Ed Harris.
Under-rated and often misunderstood, `The Hours' is as subtly commendable as its haunting musical score with a shock ending to achieve the considerable impact. Easily one of the Top 5 best pictures of the year. My IMDb rating: 8.0/10
The first takes us to 1923, New England where mentally unstable novelist Virginia Woolf is writing `Mrs. Dalloway'. In the second, Laura Brown, an unhappy housewife is reading the book in Hollywood in 1951. In the third, Clarissa Vaughn finds herself becoming the character in modern day Manhattan. British director brings the movie depth and meaning as the plots unfold and interact in a thoroughly earnest and believable manner. Of course there are those that complain that the film is made up of a series of `they'll show this clip for my Oscar nomination' moments, but this isn't enough to really hold a grudge against it. Okay, perhaps it is manipulative in that sense but it was hardly intentional.
Technical credits are surprisingly terrific all round. In particular, the silky, brazen editing cleverly switches from one scene to the other with the just right amount of emphasis on key elements. Scenery, cinematography and costume designs are spectacular as well. Though hardly breath-taking compared to `Chicago' and `Gangs of New York', the alternating sets are magnificently detailed. Such is the case with the image of Hollywood in 1951. Always sunny and seductive, there is a perfect overbearing of cleanliness in the idyllic household and crystal clear roads. The solemnities of the plots really go right to the core. The subtext is hidden far enough to consider the film `sophisticated' and every little detail, no matter how irrelevant is chosen for a reason.
But the main power is generated by the host of superlative performances. Nicole Kidman of course won an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf (not to mention the heavy prosthetics). Though the performance is convincing, it is too small to consider in the `Best Actress' category. Meryl Streep gives the expected fine delivery and is as mesmerising as one would come to expect. It must have been tough for Julianne Moore to pull off her part. Mainly because she has played the same variation on the `disillusioned wife' character so many times. But she really makes this role her own, totally different from her character in say, `Magnolia', thus she is a brilliant character actress. Support is noteworthy all across the board from the likes of Miranda Richardson, John C. Reilly and Jeff Daniels; the best supporting turn coming from Ed Harris.
Under-rated and often misunderstood, `The Hours' is as subtly commendable as its haunting musical score with a shock ending to achieve the considerable impact. Easily one of the Top 5 best pictures of the year. My IMDb rating: 8.0/10