The Double Hour (2009)
"La doppia ora" (original title)

A chambermaid and an ex-cop meet at a speed dating event and a romance develops. But during a romantic getaway things suddenly take a dark turn.

Director:

Giuseppe Capotondi

Writers:

Alessandro Fabbri, Ludovica Rampoldi,

Stars:

Kseniya Rappoport, Filippo Timi, Antonia Truppo

5 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kseniya Rappoport	...	Sonia (as Ksenia Rappoport)
Filippo Timi	...	Guido
Antonia Truppo	...	Margherita
Gaetano Bruno	...	Riccardo
Fausto Russo Alesi	...	Bruno
Michele Di Mauro	...	Dante
Lorenzo Gioielli	...	Hotel deputy director
Lidia Vitale	...	Redhead at speed date
Giampiero Judica	...	Man at speed date
Roberto Accornero	...	Man at speed date
Lucia Poli	...	Marisa
Giorgio Colangeli	...	Priest / Father
Deborah Bernuzzi	...	Hostess
Barbara Braconi	...	Receptionist
Federica Cassini	...	Infermiera

Storyline

Guido (Filippo Timi), a former cop, is a luckless veteran of the speed-dating scene in Turin. But, much to his surprise, he meets Slovenian immigrant Sonia (Ksenia Rappoport), a chambermaid at a high-end hotel. The two hit it off, and a passionate romance develops. After they leave the city for a romantic getaway in the country, things suddenly take a dark turn. As Sonia's murky past resurfaces, her reality starts to crumble. Everything in her life begins to change - - questions arise and answers only arrive through a continuous twist and turn of events keeping viewers on edge until the film's final moments. THE DOUBLE HOUR, winner of Best Actress at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival, is directed by Giuseppe Capotondi.

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Plot Keywords:

speed dating | cop | hotel | slovenian | ex cop | 

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Taglines:

Nothing is what it seems.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian Spanish

Release Date:

9 October 2009 (Italy)

Also Known As:

La hora del crimen

Filming Locations:

Carmagnola, Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

€2,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$30,246 (USA) (15 April 2011)

Gross:

$1,510,893 (USA) (19 August 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Indigo Film, Medusa Film, Mercurio Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Remade as The Double Hour (2014)

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Soundtracks

"Leave Be"
Written and Performed by Nels Cline and Devin Sarno

User Reviews

Having Second Thoughts

This film is mildly recommended.

I miss Alfred Hitchcock. His films were carefully constructed thrillers that would rarely let the moviegoer down. His pacing, editing, camera angles, and most importantly, his script, kept logic intact while entertaining and building suspense. There were always concluding set pieces that became memorable parts of cinema history: a chase on Mount Rushmore, a runaway carousel, a fight aboard a high speed train, an attack of stark-raving mad ravens. As I sat watching the Italian import, The Double Hour, my thoughts yearned for his deft director's touch on this film's intriguing premise.

Directed by newcomer Giuseppe Capotondi, the film stars Kseniya Rappoport as Sonya and Flippo Timi as Guido, two lonely sorts who meet at a speed dating seminar. She works as a hotel maid and he is an ex-cop turned security guard and both sense a real instant connection there. That's the beginning of a complex labyrinth that held my complete interest for about three-fourth of the film's length.

This off-beat thriller that becomes more ominous and intriguing every second with plot twists and startling reveals in its intricate plotting. There are twists galore, some minor, some major, and I enjoyed the conceit of the filmmaker in toying with his audience.

Now I love a good mystery and this is one, that is, up until the last few minutes when the mystery unravels and so does all reasoning. Actions are so out of character with Sonya and Guido's arc that the film defies rationality. Incidents that occur in the beginning of the film become random thoughts and really have no bearing in the maze-like structure of the story. The final shot made little sense to me when trying to decode the scheme of events prior to that ending, leaving me with a bitter taste of regret. ( Plus, no memorable set piece is on display when one could have been added in the airport scene to full effect.)

The movie tagline for The Double Hour reads as follows: A Romance. A Robbery. A Mystery. All that is true, and for the most of the time, the film does successfully involve the moviegoer. But, unfortunately, the film ultimately disappoints in the last half hour of the film when all the logic gives way to a very unsatisfying ending.

Sadly, I felt double-crossed and cheated when the end credits rolled. Yes, Alfred would have ironed out all the plot kinks before filming this exasperating thriller. Why have your audience invest their time and emotions in all of the film's intricacies when your overly convoluted plot becomes the major obstacle to the mystery itself. The Double Hour is second rate Hitchcock at best. GRADE: B-

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