Thursday, Feb. 06, 2003
The Hours: Incredible, posted at 10:10 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Rarely do I see a movie as flawless as The Hours. I left feeling enthralled, drained, and amazed that a movie about suicide, lesbians, and depression could leave me so enchanted and full of vigor for life. In-fucking-credible.After speaking with Gale, who had her problems with it, I'm trying to pinpoint why this movie connected with me so much. The way the stories interconnected and the themes intersected was masterful. The editing left me breathless. The score moved me with its transcendent power. The lead acting was superb - how could it not be Kidman, Streep, and Moore - but it was also terrific down to the tiniest role. Ed Harris has only two scenes, but he gives a speech about writing that sent armies of tingles down my spine. John C. Reilly, who stars in pretty much every movie this year, is great. Toni Collette captures such fear and pain and repression in one tiny scene that she should be nominated for an Oscar. Claire Danes, reminding us why My So-Called Life was one of the best TV programs in the history of television, is beautiful and sexy as Streep's daughter. Allison Janney, reminding us why The West Wing was one of the best TV programs in the history of television, is beautiful and sexy as Streep's lover.
This movie is phenomenal. I'm breathless. I was rapt at attention for two hours even though I had to go to the bathroom even before it started. The direction and cinematography... the acting... the story... I can't even believe it. I've never read any of Virginia Woolfe's work, nor have I read the book version of this film. Never the mind. It's that good.
Just a few more films to see before I can make my best of 2002 list, but The Hours is definitely going to be near the top if not up there alone.