The Hours
"The Hours" is a parade of sad, beautiful performances, a sort of gorgeous funeral procession of acting. Its structure allows each actor the opportunity to emote with Oscar-worthy fervor at least once, and in the case of some of them, several times. A young thespian could open the screenplay to nearly any page and find a scene or monologue worth memorizing for auditions. It's that good. The screenplay, by David Hare, is based on Michael Cunningham's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, whose multi-storied structure and action-less plot make for an introspective book and a seemingly unfilmable movie. Yet here it is, directed by Stephen Daldry ( "Billy Elliot" ) with such grace and cinematic flair that it's hard to imagine it NOT being a movie. It is about three women who are on the edge: Before the film's end, they will either learn to cope with life, or else they will give up on it completely. The title refers to what one does in the hours AFTER the party. Once the momentary diversions have ended, are we still able to deal with life? That is the question here.
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