Change Your Image
Lothwesta
Reviews
One True Thing (1998)
A wonderful, wonderful film.
This is one of my favourite films of all time, no doubt about it. Everything about it is superb. While it may appear to be a film which mainly appeals to women, I think that the men should give it a chance too - a substantial part of the storyline is from George Gulden's (William Hurt) point of view, as the father of the family.
Through 'One True Thing', we see how a family copes with disease - from everybody's point of view. Although we follow the story from Ellen Gulden's (Renee Zellweger) eyes, it never feels like we're missing out on anything.
The strongest point of the film is the superb acting. Hurt and Zellweger give very strong, convincing performances, and the supporting cast are also very good; however, it's Meryl Streep who stands out here. I truly believe this to be not only one of her best performances to date, but one of the best ever. Her work in this film is absolutely astounding. She's everything and anything the film could require from her - and then so much more. What she brings to this role is truly magical; the woman is a genius. How she could have missed out on the Oscar that year, I have absolutely no idea.
There isn't much more to say, except for SEE THIS FILM. It is all at once extremely insightful, moving, humorous and beautiful. You won't regret watching this one.
The Hours (2002)
A Stunning Piece Of Artistry.
I have just finished watching this film, and I am, quite simply, in awe. Every single aspect of the film just seems to come together in just the right way to deliver a spectacularly stunning production which really digs deep for the viewer. Although the film seems to have a more feminine tone to it at first glance, I urge the male readers out there to watch this. I urge EVERYBODY to watch this wonderful piece of art and if you do, then watch it with no distraction - no telephone, no nothing. Just sit there and absorb the whole thing in one, uninterrupted viewing. I'll break the film down a bit:
ACTING:- The acting in 'The Hours' is simply superb. I must admit I watched it primarily to see Meryl Streep, although I was highly expectant of the other performers. I was right to be. Streep shines in her role and is probably the better of the three leads, but Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman tackle their roles wonderfully and also give beautiful and haunting performances. And it's not just the main actresses who are outstanding - Ed Harris is almost flawless in his role, too, and the minor characters are also portrayed very well. Claire Danes's role was the only one which did not seem to fit in with all the others, and I'm still undecided on whether it is because of her acting or because of her character. Still, all of the acting in this film helps along the story and none of it hinders the film at all.
PLOT:- *** Minor SPOILERS for people who don't want to know anything about the film before watching it...***
'The Hours' follows three women: one, which we see in the 1920s, Virginia Woolf (Kidman), the eccentric writer. The second is Laura Brown (Moore), a family woman in the 1950s who is also having emotional trauma. The third is Clarissa Vaughan (Streep), a modern-day lesbian book editor who is throwing a party for her dying friend Richard, who is suffering from AIDS. The three tales are, to put it bluntly, chopped up into pieces, and then fit back together quite masterfully so that the audience receives small doses (some larger than others, however) of each story at a time. The film revolves around one day in each woman's life and finally builds to an unforgettable twist, which I will of course not reveal. The story, while it may seem complicated and depressing, is beautiful and extremely emotional.
*** SPOILERS over ***
OTHER ASPECTS:- The direction and screenplay of this film are simply fantastic. The script is almost poetical at times and the main characters all deliver powerful lines which have deep and thought-provoking meanings. It's rare to find a film which will amaze you even with its editing, but 'The Hours' manages this fine; the scenes are very well put together and the direction itself, which you can tell by watching, is complex and precise. And then we get to the score, by Philip Glass. The score is comprised of wonderful piano music and in every scene you can hear how the melodies are significantly helping the story and the atmosphere forward. It is very uncommon to find a film which you can stand back and look at from any angle and still be in awe, but 'The Hours' is definitely one of them.
In conclusion, 'The Hours' is truly an awe-inspiring and beautiful piece of artistry. The genre may be somewhat specialised but it is easy to appreciate this film in its sheer magnificence. Go and see it as soon as you can.
10/10.