The Hours [M]

In 1920s England Virginia Woolfe is struggling with insanity as she tries to write her first great novel, Mrs. Dalloway. In 1950s, post-World War II Los Angeles a mother and housewife, Laura Brown, is reading the book and finding it so revelatory that she begins to question and consider devastatingly changing her life. In 2001 New York, Clarissa Vaughn, is living the book and getting ready to throw a party for a dying friend and love. Though separated by different eras, the symmetrical stories of these three women intertwine until they come together in a surprising and climactic moment of shared recognition. 

Based on the novel by Michael Cunningham, The Hours is an incredible drama in every which way: the story is tragically beautiful and astoundingly original, the performances from all three leading heroines are absolutely breathtaking, and the music, the costumes, the makeup, and every other aspect of film that is conceivable is done to perfection, making The Hours a most astounding and masterful piece of cinema! 

In 1920s England Virginia Woolfe is struggling with insanity as she tries to write her first great novel, Mrs. Dalloway. In 1950s, post-World War II Los Angeles a mother and housewife, Laura Brown, is reading the book and finding it so revelatory that she begins to question and consider devastatingly changing her life. In 2001 New York, Clarissa Vaughn, is living the book and getting ready to throw a party for a dying friend and love. Though separated by different eras, the symmetrical stories of these three women intertwine until they come together in a surprising and climactic moment of shared recognition. 

The story appeals to me for a number of reasons: Number 1, it is a story about the strength and courage of women. From a feministic perspective, this movie is the ultimate! The three central heroines are not necessarily defiant towards men or overtly feministic in any way, but each one is deeply troubled and haunted or oppressed by something and the strength and power that this movie harbours is brought forth by the decisions that these women make and how they quite silently deal with their troubles and oppression. 

Number 2, the marriage of the original novel and the screenplay is an absolute winner! The story is three stories within a story that all intertwine and reach both different and uniform conclusions. The screenplay uses quick and fragmented editing and fast-paced jumps from scene to scene that successfully conveys the change in eras and also the mesmerising symmetry between the three heroines. When you begin the movie you just think that the common link between these women is the book, Mrs. Dalloway, as one is writing it, one is reading it, and one is living it, but as you go on with the movie so much more links these three beautiful women together and the way the film is edited, jaggedly but somehow also seamlessly, is just so good that you expect all three to somehow physically cross paths with each other. It’s sort of hard of to explain… you’ll have to go down to your local Blockbuster and grab a copy. 

Number 3, the story is not only one of feminism but one of internal torture, prejudice, oppression, and the choice between life and death. Death is something that plays a heavy role in this film: how it is an absolute end, how it holds the promise of no more pain and suffering, and how it can be an offer of escape and freedom from life. On more than one occasion each of our heroines considers the offer that death puts on the table and, from the performances given by our three leading ladies, it is easy to see how appealing that offer is. 

Nicole Kidman plays Virginia Woolfe and she delivers a wonderful performance that is actually almost hypnotic. Her character is troubled by voices and mental health issues and Nicole conveys these internal struggles subtly but very clearly. She’s absolutely captivating to watch. 

Julianne Moore plays the role of 50s housewife Laura Brown. Troubled by her unfulfilling life, confused by fleeting homosexual impulses, and desperate for love, Julianne played the role of this troubled woman astoundingly beautifully. There aren’t really words to describe how watching her on the screen made me feel. 

Meryl Streep plays the role of Clarissa, the real life Mrs. Dalloway: a homosexual woman who lives for other people and being the host. In anything she does, Meryl is absolutely stunning, and The Hours is no exception. Her character is one that seems completely fine on the outside, but really is not and Meryl plays the role with incredible grace and terrible tragedy. 

With incredible performances from Miranda Richardson, Linda Bassett, John C Reilly, Toni Collette, Ed Harris, Allison Janney Clare Danes, Jeff Daniels, and Stephen Dillane, The Hours is a remarkable film filled with drama, love, torment, death, and life. I would highly recommend it because it’s ABSOLUTELY STUNNING IN EVERY WAY!