Review of The Hours (2002) by Kenr — 26 Jul 2021

Where is best to start with a complex, convoluted work like 'The Hours'? The Novelist Michael Cunningham tends to infuse his own homosexual view of relationships into his characters and the reader. TIME magazine's Richard Schickel's perceptive review of this film version, leans toward being perhaps the most accurate; he summed it up as being; 'Agenda Driven'. Screenplay writer David Hare's jigsaw-like adaption makes excellent use of cinematic creativity - allowing bisexual director Stephen Daldry to juxtapose the inter-related time shifts beautifully indeed. It's via this technique we're best able to see director, writer, editor, and photographer, working so perfectly together.

David Hare is no stranger to the theme of suicide. His own written and directed (sadly, rarely screened) 1985 classic “Wetherby” ’85 is testimony to his sensitivity and skill with this subject. As for the variety of interconnected characters, there's an uncomfortable ambiguity that could make it difficult for some viewers to fully connect with them. Firstly, we have Julianne Moore’s Laura as a classic example: What earlier goals had this woman set for her life before marriage? She has what billions of less fortunate women the world over would gladly trade places for - a comfortable home, caring husband, an adoring 6 yr old son (marvelously played by young Jack Rovello), a daughter on the way, clothes, car, and money to spend. The only solid suggestion the writers offer for her intense suicidal tendencies comes during a visit by Kitty (Toni Collette) her female neighbor - Laura plants a passionate kiss square on the mouth of this very surprised woman - could Laura have been a lesbian all along? - Kitty, who had just finished telling Laura that she feels like a failure because of her inability to conceive, then looks up all doe-eyed at Laura and says 'you’re such a warm woman'...surprise! could it perhaps be that all these years Laura's neighbor may also have been a lesbian?. Perhaps we should look further.... A similar excuse is drawn up for Meryl Streep's Clarissa. She's in a lesbian partnership but cannot let go of strong feelings she holds for an old relationship she had with Richard (Richard is the now homosexual son of our above-mentioned Laura, and she had abandoned him and his sister years earlier!) This brings to question some theories on same-sex partnering...Is Richard really a homosexual or is he simply avoiding a serious relationship with Clarissa (the woman he constantly claims to love), could Richard's indecision be out of fear that Clarissa might also abandon him as his mother did?. Is Clarissa in fact a true biological lesbian? None of these issues are convincingly made clear.

How many may choose homosexual relationships, not for biological reasons, but from fear or misunderstandings? These choices have the potential to introduce serious dilemmas as people mature into deeper understandings of themselves. Here, we witness their decisions bring deadly consequences for all involved. Even Richard's male lover admits to Clarissa that he never felt freer than the day he left him! So, what does poor Richard get out of all this? - deadly AIDs and yet more suicide! This brings us to the unfortunate writer of the original novel (Mrs Dalloway) Virginia Woolf; (nicely played by an unrecognizable Nicole Kidman) If we look back over Woolf's life, she has tragically admitted she and her sister were abused by their half brothers ~ She was totally devastated by the death of her parents and brother ~ She also had a lesbian dalliance that soon petered out ~ In the film, Virginia goes on to admit the only time she ever felt fulfilled and at her happiest - was in her relationship with her beloved husband. Yet again, the novelist (Cunningham) rather bizarrely seems to be offering up suggestions that a lesbian relationship might still be her possible savior. Somehow this all has a tendency to look and feel like over-simplistic agenda based reasoning - rather than genuine relationship philosophy.

With stylish direction by Stephen Daldry ~ marvelous editing by Peter Boyle (AKF '92's neglected “Into the West”) ~ dressed to the hilt with so many stunning performances (too difficult to say who’s best) ~ then add Irish born director of photography Seamus McGarvey (known for the odd 'Harry Dean Stanton Partly Fiction') providing dazzling images ~ now wrap it all up in Philip Glass's haunting, insistently minimalist but melodic music score. What you end up with, could be one of the most compelling movies that you just may find all too difficult to watch again. The films surprising success could be attributed to all the above elements but, there have been many other powerful, introspectively themed movies that were unfairly neglected, why? The Hours could prove rewarding for those who can take the intensity - for others; the seconds, minutes, and hours might possibly seem like weeks.