Review - The Hours

The Hours is a fleeting glance into three depressive lives. And yet with such a small scope, the impact is profound.

 

Life is not what you really are living every "hour". Life is what makes you feel happy, life is what which gives you aim and life is what keeps you motivated. Many people, living their life in those "hours" of charades and trivial errands seek something worth living. Seek a meaning to their life. And when they fail, they their last resort is to break free from this imprisonment. Or, these are the notions what Stephen Daldry's 2002 drama about three morbid women, The Hours, reflects on.

The Hours is an intelligent and highly cohesive drama spanning over decades, showcasing a single day of three different but thematically connected women - In 1920's, writer Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) has began writing his novel "Mrs. Dalloway" while facing severe mental issues. As she writes her novel, we cut to 1950's where a suburban housewife Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), is reading Mrs. Dalloway, as she begins a new day in her mundane life. The film further introduces us to Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) in 2001 - her life closely resembling the events of novel Mrs. Dalloway. As all three lead characters go through their life on that day, we witness helplessness, yearnings and melancholia.  

Brilliantly performed by pretty much every single actor, The Hours, however, should be remembered Nicole Kidman's heartfelt performance. Even with all those prosthetic bells and whistles, Kidman's performance is natural, real and deeply moving. Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep also are amazing - they remain subtle without going over the top and yet creating a great impact. All performances are wonderfully woven together in a single thread by Philip Glass's ethereal score.

 

The film maybe simply referred as a "suicide" film - the film presents us with three heroines who are struggling to keep themselves intact, almost to a fault, thinking about ending their life at one point in the film. But labeling this film as such would be a crime - it is an intense character study which questions the basic nature of life - Why do we keep on living even we are unhappy and see no hope? As the film progresses to its closure, The Hours provides some great insight on life, hope and realization of our identites.

3.5/5

Review - Whiplash

Whiplash is a knock down, a sucker punch. Its electrifying. 

You'll want to bang your hand on the wall. 

Not quite my tempo.

I never though instrumental music, or jazz to be precise, will feel like watching a wrestling match. Or a dirty cricket sledging. Whiplash proves that artists are indeed pushed to their extreme limits - by their teachers, peers or themselves, which actually isn't the case. The fact that they won't give up until they prove themselves, over and over again, is indeed what makes them brilliant. Artists are not made overnight.  

Based on director and writer Damien Chazelle's own first hand experience at a music school, Whiplash is about a young jazz drummer Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) who gets admitted to United States' best music school, Shaffer Conservatory. He is dedicated to his art, focused but still an amateur. He is selected to the school's band by conductor Terrence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Fletcher is abusive, verbally and physically to his students. He insults, mocks. He is like Voldemort conducting a jazz orchestra.

What follows after that is a series of some serious action. Not your typical physical action - instead of men, here drums are beaten to death. There are some scenes which show humiliation and bullying in its most worst form. Miles tries, tries harder. His conviction to his art is what keeps him going. Fletcher, on the other hand, knows that Miles is capable of being great. But his way of motivation isn't your usual teacher-student pep talk. Hands bled, drums are broken and thrown over. The film turns into a WWE match (not literally).

Acting here is amazing. First things first, Miles Teller is a great actor. Yes, you can go at lengths that he didn't performed the actual drumming. But his expressions - agony and pain on his face while he's drumming at 200bpm - and yet determined - is a brilliant acting. They say, acting is not just about talking. Miles proves it. J.K. Simmons, however, gets most of the "talk" here and mind you - he is loathsome. His words fire bullets, hitting right on the target. Sometimes, I felt hitting Fletcher with a drumstick right on his bald head. Simmons proves that bad guys indeed make a great impression.

The film is a great example of shooting and editing a music session - the quick cuts, closeups and shots matching the music right on tempo. As if the editor (Tom Cross) himself was part of the orchestra. Visually the film resembles 'The Social Network' - the sepia toned imagery with crisp details. Chazelle is outstanding as a director - his work flows with a thrust, like a hurricane that blows you away. 

The moral issues and ethics are debatable and they should be. How far you should push someone to be great? By the film's end, its stand is pretty much clear. "There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job", says Fletcher near the end. After watching the masterful 10-minute jazz action at the end of Whiplash, I'd say "good job", Mr. Chazelle.

4/5