If I can't love The Hours as much as I want to, it's that I would have wanted to spend more time with each of the three women at the heart of the drama, three women separated by space and time who nonetheless have an impact on the next. Nicole Kidman is near unrecognizable as Virginia Woolf and gives a quiet, fascinating performance. Julianne Moore is a housewife in the '50s, despondent in a marriage she cannot engage with and inspired by Woolf's writing. And Meryl Streep takes care of a dying poet in the contemporary day, and there's again a connection that goes back to the '50s and thus to Woolf, and a bit of writerly legerdemain to make thing cycle back there more directly. All three are supported by an A-list cast. All three characters are gay in their particular context. And all three women are dealing with the specter of suicide, from a different angle. Director Stephen Daldry interweaves these stories beautifully, editing them into one another on a door opening, a vase being set down, a head lying on a pillow, creating a stronger connection between them through images, and actively creating tension about what's about to happen in a mirroring kind of way. The craft is impeccable. Glass' music memorable. The subject matter is heavy, but the film doesn't tell you what to think. To its questions, there are many answers, and so no answers. So I'm only really let down because two hours is scarcely enough time to spend with any of the characters, and things end a bit abruptly for me. Which is perhaps the point.
This movie really touched me deeply. I could identify will all those three women so well who were (for different reasons) in denial or deeply unhappy about their lives and felt so trapped... I guess many of us have seen such times.
I loved the intertwined way the three stories were told, all the parallel incidents and touching experiences.
The actors were brilliant. Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore portrayed the main characters in a fantastic way - but I also loved the smaller parts brought to life by Jeff Daniels, Claire Danes, Miranda Richardson... and especially Ed Harris.
One special aspect of the movie was that it felt strangely incomplete, but not in a bad way. It felt like a mirror of real life, in a sense that not everything always ends well and sometimes you have to look hard to find the silver lining, and you really have to fight for those little moments when you feel truly alive... but they do exist.
i think the acting was ahead of the movie. referring to "novel is difficult" a couple of times made me think that it was a response to whom would say "this movie is difficult". all in all, i found this movie quite interesting.
Nicole Kidman was fantastic as Virginia Woolf. I really wish there was more of her in the movie. The performance was great and Mrs. Woolf herself fascinates me.
Nicole Kidman is also pretty damn good. But I guess Daldry is sort of a love-him-or-hate-him filmmaker, and for what it's worth I thought this was leagues better then either Billy Elliot or The Reader.
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Siskoid
If I can't love The Hours as much as I want to, it's that I would have wanted to spend more time with each of the three women at the heart of the drama, three women separated by space and time who nonetheless have an impact on the next. Nicole Kidman is near unrecognizable as Virginia Woolf and gives a quiet, fascinating performance. Julianne Moore is a housewife in the '50s, despondent in a marriage she cannot engage with and inspired by Woolf's writing. And Meryl Streep takes care of a dying poet in the contemporary day, and there's again a connection that goes back to the '50s and thus to Woolf, and a bit of writerly legerdemain to make thing cycle back there more directly. All three are supported by an A-list cast. All three characters are gay in their particular context. And all three women are dealing with the specter of suicide, from a different angle. Director Stephen Daldry interweaves these stories beautifully, editing them into one another on a door opening, a vase being set down, a head lying on a pillow, creating a stronger connection between them through images, and actively creating tension about what's about to happen in a mirroring kind of way. The craft is impeccable. Glass' music memorable. The subject matter is heavy, but the film doesn't tell you what to think. To its questions, there are many answers, and so no answers. So I'm only really let down because two hours is scarcely enough time to spend with any of the characters, and things end a bit abruptly for me. Which is perhaps the point.ClassicLady
I guess it’s just me but I was mostly lost the entire time. Great acting, though.peterskb45
Philip Glass is a national treasure.GodPepper
Nicole Kidman was fantastic indeed. Loved the stories, didn't like the end at all.V012
They got Virginia Woolf's nose perfectlyIreneAdler
This movie really touched me deeply. I could identify will all those three women so well who were (for different reasons) in denial or deeply unhappy about their lives and felt so trapped... I guess many of us have seen such times.I loved the intertwined way the three stories were told, all the parallel incidents and touching experiences.
The actors were brilliant. Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore portrayed the main characters in a fantastic way - but I also loved the smaller parts brought to life by Jeff Daniels, Claire Danes, Miranda Richardson... and especially Ed Harris.
One special aspect of the movie was that it felt strangely incomplete, but not in a bad way. It felt like a mirror of real life, in a sense that not everything always ends well and sometimes you have to look hard to find the silver lining, and you really have to fight for those little moments when you feel truly alive... but they do exist.
Beautiful!
hyvaa
i think the acting was ahead of the movie. referring to "novel is difficult" a couple of times made me think that it was a response to whom would say "this movie is difficult". all in all, i found this movie quite interesting.Saraxx
I love this movie. Brilliant cinematography, acting, ideas, story. Just amazing.Scream1008
Nicole Kidman was fantastic as Virginia Woolf. I really wish there was more of her in the movie. The performance was great and Mrs. Woolf herself fascinates me.Alias
Nicole Kidman is also pretty damn good. But I guess Daldry is sort of a love-him-or-hate-him filmmaker, and for what it's worth I thought this was leagues better then either Billy Elliot or The Reader.Vinsmid
Incredible performance by Ed Harris though.