The Hours (2002) directed by Stephen Daldry
Why would anyone want to watch such a morose film about unrelenting depression? I know this sounds kind of hypocritical given my praise for such films as A Single Man and Shame but for some reason the deathly serious tone of The Hours sort of rubbed me the wrong way. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good film, but it made me wonder why would I even watch such a thing?
The plot is sort of complicated. There are three sort of parallel narratives involving three different women. The first is the author Virginia Woolf who lived much of her life in constant depression. She is working on her novel Mrs. Dalloway, which is about a woman who is planning a party. This is reflected in the other two narratives, one involving Laura, a pregnant housewife in 1951 who feels trapped in her life. She finds difficulty in even the simplest of tasks such as baking a birthday cake, or loving her perfect husband and son. Fast forward to the present (2001) where Clarissa, which happens to be the name of the protagonist in Mrs. Dalloway, is throwing a party for her former lover and close friend, a poet and author who is going through the advanced stages of AIDS. All three women feel immense pressure and a gaping hole in their lives. Some of it has to do with expectations placed upon them, Virginia as a renowned artist far removed from normal society, Laura as a suburban housewife with nothing to look forward to, and Clarissa having to care for a dying man she still loves. Perhaps some of it has to do with their partners in life. All three characters display moments of bisexuality (in fact Clarissa is an open lesbian) in kisses with the same sex (or in Clarissa's case with the opposite sex). Whatever the case, what is clear is that all three women yearn for a personal freedom they cannot possess. The principle characters go about their day, though not all of them will live to see the end of it.
The Hours is a film that revels in its own melancholy. There are no moments of laughter or joy, just constant sadness. Characters spend inordinate amounts of time staring blankly into space with longing faces. There are occasional outbursts in case you could not gather that these characters are depressed. It is not a fun film to watch. But it is a well made film with nice art direction, music, direction, and most of all terrific performances. It is a star studded film with Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Juliane Moore as the three women and Ed Harris as the dying poet. They are all convincing and moving.
I do have a curious question though. Nicole Kidman won Best Actress for her role as Virginia Woolf, but I wouldn't have really picked her as the main character of the film and thinking back on it, she may not have even had the most screen time. I would argue that Juliane Moore's character Laura was actually the central character (she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress). I wonder how the nomination process goes for these films because I see this happen frequently in movies.
Anyways, solid film, though not one I would be itching to see again, unless you just enjoy soul sucking rain on your parade.
Grade: B
Why would anyone want to watch such a morose film about unrelenting depression? I know this sounds kind of hypocritical given my praise for such films as A Single Man and Shame but for some reason the deathly serious tone of The Hours sort of rubbed me the wrong way. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good film, but it made me wonder why would I even watch such a thing?
The plot is sort of complicated. There are three sort of parallel narratives involving three different women. The first is the author Virginia Woolf who lived much of her life in constant depression. She is working on her novel Mrs. Dalloway, which is about a woman who is planning a party. This is reflected in the other two narratives, one involving Laura, a pregnant housewife in 1951 who feels trapped in her life. She finds difficulty in even the simplest of tasks such as baking a birthday cake, or loving her perfect husband and son. Fast forward to the present (2001) where Clarissa, which happens to be the name of the protagonist in Mrs. Dalloway, is throwing a party for her former lover and close friend, a poet and author who is going through the advanced stages of AIDS. All three women feel immense pressure and a gaping hole in their lives. Some of it has to do with expectations placed upon them, Virginia as a renowned artist far removed from normal society, Laura as a suburban housewife with nothing to look forward to, and Clarissa having to care for a dying man she still loves. Perhaps some of it has to do with their partners in life. All three characters display moments of bisexuality (in fact Clarissa is an open lesbian) in kisses with the same sex (or in Clarissa's case with the opposite sex). Whatever the case, what is clear is that all three women yearn for a personal freedom they cannot possess. The principle characters go about their day, though not all of them will live to see the end of it.
The Hours is a film that revels in its own melancholy. There are no moments of laughter or joy, just constant sadness. Characters spend inordinate amounts of time staring blankly into space with longing faces. There are occasional outbursts in case you could not gather that these characters are depressed. It is not a fun film to watch. But it is a well made film with nice art direction, music, direction, and most of all terrific performances. It is a star studded film with Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Juliane Moore as the three women and Ed Harris as the dying poet. They are all convincing and moving.
I do have a curious question though. Nicole Kidman won Best Actress for her role as Virginia Woolf, but I wouldn't have really picked her as the main character of the film and thinking back on it, she may not have even had the most screen time. I would argue that Juliane Moore's character Laura was actually the central character (she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress). I wonder how the nomination process goes for these films because I see this happen frequently in movies.
Anyways, solid film, though not one I would be itching to see again, unless you just enjoy soul sucking rain on your parade.
Grade: B
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