The Hours

After more than a year of searching, I finally found a copy of The Hours with an ensemble cast of Nicole Kidman (unrecognizable due to her make up and prosthetics), Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, John C. Reilly and Claire Danes.

The movie is one of the best films I've seen. From the powerhouse cast, to the good screenplay, nice editing and good direction, the movie really deserves a 10/10 rating (or 4 stars from movie critics).

The movie is the story of the lives of Virginia Woolf, Laura Brown and Clarissa Vaughn.


Virginia Woolf struggles with her "insanity" and the restrictive confines of her society. She writes Mrs. Dalloway while undergoing through her struggles.


Laura Brown is a middle aged mother who is bored with her role as a housewife. She reads Mrs. Dalloway and decides on a drastic course of action that will have an impact on the lives of others.


Clarissa Vaughn, who is living the life of Mrs. Dalloway in modern-day New York, is planning on giving a party for her dear friend, who just won a major literary prize.


I have seen this movie once before and I was struck on the beauty of the film, the great acting and the very fine interweaving of the three stories. Seeing the film for the second time gave mo more time to understand it.

The screenplay is really really good. No dialogue in the film is wasted... no chatty talks, no unnecessary curses, each word has a meaning and adds a meaning to the story. The screenplay is very well complimented by the nice direction and film editing. During the first few minutes of the film, the parallel cuts of the three stories seems so fluid that it seems as if the action is taking place in only one place and one time.

Of course, a big part of the credit should go to Michael Cunningham for the wonderful novel (it did after all, win the Pulitzer Prize).

I'd like to say so much more about this movie but words escape me at this point.

* * * * *

to look life in the face,
always... to look life in the face...
and to know it... for what it is...
at last to know it...
to love it... for what it is...
and then...
to put it away...

always the years between us
always the years...
always the love...
always the hours...