|
 Welcome
to the Movie Mystic! The films we discuss each month are not “reviewed”
in the traditional sense of that word; rather, we look at metaphysical
messages in films, both current and classic.
The
Hours
It has
been a long time since I have felt so moved by a film as I was while
watching THE HOURS. Only FAR FROM HEAVEN came close in 2002 and THE
HOURS had a much more powerful and emotional impact on me. The film
is eerie, disturbing, exhilarating, unsettling, totally engrossing,
and is also brilliantly written, photographed, scored, acted, and directed.
THE HOURS tells the interlocking story of three women in different decades.
Nicole Kidman plays Virginia Woolf in the 1920's, Julianne Moore plays
a woman in the 1950's whose life is unraveling as she reads Woolf's
novel Mrs. Dalloway, and Meryl Streep plays a modern-day woman whose
life is deeply affected by both of the other two women. The device that
connects their lives is so beautifully and brilliantly conceived and
executed that I don't want to say anything more about the plot here.
Nicole Kidman's performance is hauntingly brilliant and definitively
marks her evolution from being considered a beautiful woman who can
act - to being one of the most accomplished and powerful actresses in
film today. Through the use of an extraordinary achievement in prosthetic
makeup, Kidman is almost unrecognizable as she literally inhabits the
soul of the tortured Virginia Woolf. Although Kidman is on-screen for
only a few scenes, the depth, pathos, and heartache that she brings
to her character are, for me, comparable to Diane Lane's career performance
in UNFAITHFUL and Julianne Moore’s performance in FAR FROM HEAVEN
(throw in Selma Hayek's bravura depiction of FRIDA and this has been
one amazing year for actresses!!). Moore is wonderful in another Fifties
portrayal in THE HOURS (two in one year...hmmmm??) and Streep is her
usual extraordinary self - as is the entire cast.
Both
Stephen Dillane as Woolf’s husband and Ed Harris as Streep’s
dear friend give performances worthy of Academy Award recognition. The
film is directed with great style and intelligence by Stephen Daldry
and Philip Glass has composed one of the most memorable and achingly
beautiful film scores since THE PIANO. In short, this is a first-class
production all the way through and will deservedly be one of the strongest
Oscar candidates in most major categories.
As Spiritual Cinema, it completes for me (with FRIDA and FAR FROM HEAVEN)
the Trilogy in 2002’s Holiday Season that celebrates both the ascension
of feminine energy and our evolution from the Male Age of Pisces into
the Female Age of Aquarius. And it's about time, yes? (As a SIGN, Pisces
is Feminine and Aquarius is Masculine - as an AGE, that is reversed.)
Resonant causation is appearing in greater intensity and impact causation
is being challenged like never before. Old paradigms die hard, yes,
but die they indeed do - and this new Aquarian Age is indeed dawning
despite so much evidence to the contrary in the so-called “mainstream”
world. While I can't really elaborate without divulging more of THE
HOURS than is appropriate here, the internal structure of the progressive
attitudes of all 3 women in the film up through the decades reflect
this amazing evolution as well. When Meryl Streep appears in the penultimate
scene to merely turn off some lights in her apartment, we have a sense
that a major transformation has taken place.
As the title of THE HOURS refers, in part, to the time we spend in reflection
after the occurrence of a particular event in our lives, so has this
film fascinated and affected me for these few weeks since I first saw
it on New Year's Eve. After playing in exclusive runs, it opened in
mid-January in cities across the United States and will get more exposure
after it receives the several Academy Award nominations that I believe
it will deservedly receive. If it hasn’t opened near you yet -
it might soon. As it is a complex film that may stir emotions and musings
within you, it’s a great movie to see with other members of your
Spiritual Cinema Community.
THE HOURS is a deeply moving, emotionally challenging ,and often brooding
film that may very well unsettle some viewers. With all that in mind,
I heartily recommend it to you as a film for adults who are in the mood
for an absorbing and haunting literary evening at the movies.
NEXT MONTH: Spiritual Cinema’s Most Memorable 5 of 2002!
©
Stephen Simon 2003
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