The Hours Reviews

I already saw this movie but since it was a while back, I was quite eager to check it out again. Following the really popular but also rather generic ‘Billy Elliot’, Stephen Daldry came up with this follow-up which was much more ambitious and it turned out to be another critical success. Well, I"m glad I gave it a 2nd chance because I enjoyed it more this time around. Indeed, to be honest, the first time I saw this movie, even though it was definitely a decent watch, I have to admit it that I actually had a hard time to care about this story. Basically, the tricky thing with this movie is that you have to be able to have an emotional connection with these 3 women, even though you barely get to know them. Still, there is no denying that the directing was really solid. Above all, there was a stellar cast involved and they all gave some fine performances (Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, John C. Reilly, Toni Collette, Ed Harris, Claire Danes, Jeff Daniels). Especially for Kidman, this movie was basically the highlight of her career as she was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Eventually, the main issue I still have with this movie is that I still haven't read the actual 'Mrs Dalloway' book which would probably allow me to appreciate this movie even more. Anyway, to conclude, it turned out to be a really good drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Films that are blessed with good reputation often enjoys an added advantage that, very unknowingly one starts to feel obligated to like them. This may often turn a little misleading but fortunately it worked fine for me this time. I almost felt compelled to watch this film for its good rating and I am happy I did so. It’s so beautiful like a fully blossomed flower with all its petals in full glory. The multilayered story and its delectable star cast weaves together a nicely blended humane story of three women of three different generations and how their lives connect each other.
The Hours directed by Stephen Daldry is based on the 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Michael Cunningham. It looks into one day of three women’s lives in three different times and interestingly their lives are so connected. The first being the famous writer Virginia Wolves who is writing a novel in the year 1921, second being Laura Brown a pregnant housewife with an unhappy marriage in 1951 who is reading the novel and the third one is Clarissa Vaughan in 2001 whose life resembles that of Mrs Dalloway the character Virginia Wolves is creating. The plot is interesting to say the least and Daldry’s narrative never makes it complicated. The screenplay is tight and never loses grip on the narrative. The opening 15-20 minutes just impressed me immensely; the scenes in different time zones are so well stitched together and seem flawless. The background score is mind blowing and it seamlessly adds to the narration and always looks the part.



The acting department is the real asset in this touching story. All the three women in this film played by Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore are truly spectacular. Particularly Kidman surpasses every other work she has done before and her Oscar winning performance is to be seen to be believed. Ed Haris shines within the limited scope he is given with. Honestly the male characters are not developed to the extent to be felt important at all and that to me is the minor glitch in this otherwise brilliant film. Also we never come to know why Laura is not happy with her seemingly good marriage life. With all the major characters being suicidal the story may seem a downer but ultimately it conveys hope at the end and Mrs Dalloway chooses to live. The makeup is so good and the cinematography is excellent too. All in all The Hours may not justify the huge 9 Oscar Nominations but none the less it is a very good film.
I am going with 7 Out of 10 for Stephen Daldry‘s The Hours, it is a satisfying watch and sentimentally touching but in the end I seriously felt like missing something. It really felt lesser than it aspired to be or at least promised to be. Never the less still it is worth a watch just to witness the brilliant storytelling and some great acting on screen.