A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

The Evaluation System Reviews by Title Reviews by Date

Reviews from Video Reviews of the Classics Personal Background

Title: The Hours

Date Viewed: 3/2/03

Details:

Nicole Kidman

Julianne Moore

Meryl Streep

Ed Harris

Director: Stephen Daldry

Novel: Michael Cunningham

Score: +

The Review: A long time in release (limited December release for 2002 Oscar qualification, with full release only in February), this has been a long time in coming to a theatre near you. It is worth the wait.

The Hours is a drama spread across three periods of time. First is a day (1923) in the life of author Virginia Wolfe (Kidman); the venue is the countryside outside of London, and it is the psychological portrait of the artist as a young and very troubled woman, recovering from an illness and poised at the beginning of writing her novel "Mrs Dalloway." Second is an excursion to California suburbia, a day (1950's) in the life of a housewife (Moore) as she is making preparations for her husband's birthday, and beginning to read Wolfe's novel "Mrs Dalloway"; she seems fragile and balanced on a very tippy pivot. And third is the modern day, focused on a New York editor (Streep) who has been nicknamed Mrs Dalloway by her long-time friend and poet (Harris). Harris is in the terminal stages of AIDS, has just won a distinguished poetry prize, and Streep has decided to throw a party in his honor; her psyche is also on edge, walking a very narrow line. A common cross-thread theme comes from a comment made by Wolfe's sister: "you cannot find peace by avoiding life."

These three interrelated plot threads are deftly woven together; discovering and exploring these relationships is one of the film's entertainments, and one of its enchantments is that each thread covers but a single day. The stories are dense and well-told. The design, style and feel of the three time periods is done with an eye towards disambiguation, and it is quite effective. Even with three separate stories unfolding, with a substantial supporting cast in each period, and with many editorial intercuts (sometimes very forceful, sometimes humor in parallel), it is never confusing. You always know where (and when) you are.

The three starring actresses are wonderful: great acting in a great screenplay (taken from the novel by Cunningham). The supporting cast is well-selected, strong and compelling; Harris is particularly good. However, getting into the rhythm and mood of this film takes some time; don't go tired or fall asleep as this is happening. You will be rewarded.

(8-Mar-03)

Back to the chronological list of reviews