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"The Hours" DVD Review

From Ivana Redwine,
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Guide Rating - rating

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.
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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.
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