Despite an intrusive score and a screenplay that stalls a bit under the weight of its own ambition, "The Hours" develops into quite a fine film, thanks to the deft direction of Stephen Daldry and uncommonly strong performances from a talented ensemble cast.
Yes, Meryl Streep is good. Ed Harris, too. My favorites from "The Hours", though, are Toni Collette, Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, and, especially, Nicole Kidman.
Moore's part of the film is written too vaguely, so it's up to the actor to make her housewife's sense of suffocation corporeal. I think she is outstanding.
Stephen Dillane, portraying Leonard Woolf, is perhaps overshadowed by the film's stars. His performance is exceptionally strong, I thought, and his scene with Nicole Kidman, as Virginia Woolf, at the train station is, in my opinion, one of the film's very, very best.
The movie works best when Daldry gets up close: lets the actors bring the script and story to life with their marvelous talents. The score is distracting, but probably jammed in by the producers to give the film that an Oscar "feel". I would have preferred the producers follow Daldry's instincts. Looking at how masterfully he filmed the scenes between Streep and Harris, in which thier complicated rapport was practically palpable, it's hard to believe this is only Mr. Daldry's second feature.
Yes, Meryl Streep is good. Ed Harris, too. My favorites from "The Hours", though, are Toni Collette, Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, and, especially, Nicole Kidman.
Moore's part of the film is written too vaguely, so it's up to the actor to make her housewife's sense of suffocation corporeal. I think she is outstanding.
Stephen Dillane, portraying Leonard Woolf, is perhaps overshadowed by the film's stars. His performance is exceptionally strong, I thought, and his scene with Nicole Kidman, as Virginia Woolf, at the train station is, in my opinion, one of the film's very, very best.
The movie works best when Daldry gets up close: lets the actors bring the script and story to life with their marvelous talents. The score is distracting, but probably jammed in by the producers to give the film that an Oscar "feel". I would have preferred the producers follow Daldry's instincts. Looking at how masterfully he filmed the scenes between Streep and Harris, in which thier complicated rapport was practically palpable, it's hard to believe this is only Mr. Daldry's second feature.