The Hours

For me, unfortunately, it's a clear case of a film that pretends to be great art and yet is boring and uninteresting to the point of shame. Really, the only thing that impressed me in that dreary flood of boredom was the beautiful music and the excellent performances of everyone present; except perhaps Nicole Kidman, who played her difficult role perfectly, but after the hard work of the make-up artists she looked so ugly that I didn't have the strength to watch her consistently. In the end, however, all the shining ladies were overshadowed by the absolutely stunning Ed Harris, whose performance only added to the list of "The Oscar should have gone to...". Maybe it would take one more viewing to absorb it all, but to be honest I'll probably never find the courage to do that. (06/13/2013)

One of the most complex, emotionally powerful and engaging dramas under the baton of the master of the genre Stephen Daldry (The Reader). The great cinematic atmosphere is the result of the interpenetration between the three time dimensions, which was handled absolutely wonderfully and I didn't get lost in the film at all. The beautiful musical score and the great period rendition characterizing the time dimensions added to the overall impression, which was convincing. Such a gem with a great cast is not born every year and deserves both thumbs up. (07/14/2009)

An unquestionably effective film with great direction and superb performances (Julianne Moore!), but I was unable to relate to the characters. The women’s worldviews are portrayed so perfectly that I could not understand them. In short, my ideas simply don’t agree with this film. It took about two years and then she told him: Hey, I’m lesbian. Wow. (02/12/2011)

If it weren't for Philip Glass's music, The Hours would have been at least half as good. But despite that, we are left with an incredible tour de force of acting from three actresses and one actor. It is a quite depressing experience to see all the heroines sail through a very sad day: sometimes incomparably so, sometimes completely the same. Above all, absolute concentration is a must, otherwise many might find the motivations of the heroines ridiculous and their reactions hysterical. On top of that, there should be a warning to cynics on the cover. At first, I had my reservations, big or small, but the gradual crescendo is breathtaking and leaves no room for doubt. With the twist, or the devastating final monologue, a very unique and oppressive impression remains in your heart. With distance, however, I sobered up a bit and made my rating slightly lower. The crescendo, despite its first-class ending, stutters slightly in some places, and as a whole, the film is perhaps a little elusive. Nevertheless, significantly positive impressions, not to mention my favorite of the fateful trio: Nicole Kidman. (02/04/2006)

I wouldn’t want to see this dubbed, the performances are fantastic. Nicole Kidman with her fake nose and wig is really unrecognizable and she is great as an introverted, depressed woman. But Julianne Moore is even better, she should have got the Oscar, it is “her” film. Her scene in the hotel is such an emotional barrage that it would be enough for one film on its own. But Daldry doesn't spare the audience and the film is emotionally gripping from start to finish. In short, The Hours is a hundred minutes of crackling emotion, perfectly enhanced by Phillip Glass's magnificent score. It's not very often that I get chills when I watch a movie these days, but it happened a lot with this film. I am really happy that films like this are still being made. It was a massive surprise, I didn’t expect much and it was so good! (07/01/2003)