The Bottom Line
I found "The Hours" to be emotionally and intellectually engaging, and I thought the performances of the 3 leading actresses were terrific. But the film may speak mainly to those who love novels.
Pros
- Terrific acting
- Brilliant handling of complex narrative
- Emotionally and intellectually engaging
Cons
- Too relentlessly downbeat for some viewers
- Too slow-moving for some
- Some people find movie pretentious
Description
- DVD containing drama "The Hours" (2002), starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore
- Movie nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won Oscar for Best Actress (Nicole Kidman)
- Film based on best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham
- DVD contains feature-length commentary by director Stephen Daldry and novelist Michael Cunningham
- DVD contains feature-length commentary by actresses Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore
- DVD contains 4 featurettes, including one on novelist Virginia Woolf
- Excellent picture and sound quality
- DVD release date: June 24, 2003
Guide Review - "The Hours" DVD Review
I found "The Hours" to be emotionally and intellectually engaging, and I was really impressed with the acting of Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore. The movie has a complex structure that artfully interweaves three stories: (1) tormented genius Virginia Woolf (Kidman) writing her novel "Mrs. Dalloway" in 1923 England; (2) an unhappy housewife (Moore) in 1951 L.A.; and (3) a reasonably happy lesbian (Streep) who edits books in 2001 Manhattan. The stories are linked by "Mrs. Dalloway," and I suppose a working knowledge of that novel enhances one’s appreciation of the film. I see "The Hours" as a rumination on the power of literature, and I expect the movie speaks mainly to those of us who have an abiding love of novels.
