The Hours

Intricate tale weaving the lives of three women living in three different eras

2002/US/114min Dir: Stephen Daldry Cast: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep

With exquisite performances from all involved, The Hours, based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham, immaculately weaves the stories of three women, in three different eras and places, who are all connected by Virginia Woolf's classic novel, 'Mrs Dalloway'.

In contemporary New York, book editor Clarissa (Meryl Streep) comes across as a modern-day Dalloway herself as she plans to throw a party to celebrate her best friend's winning a literary award, even as he is dying of AIDS. Laura (Julian Moore), a lonely, heavily pregnant housewife in post-war LA, embarks on a voyage of self-discovery after reading the classic book. The common denominator herself, Virginia Woolf (an Oscar-winning performance by Nicole Kidman) begins writing her epic tale in a suburb of London in 1923, against the background of her ultimately fatal depression.

The director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) skillfully entwines all three episodes into a narrative that brings together observations on possibility and what could have been, as much as it vividly evokes the lives and times of the film's principal protagonists.

It is undeniably an emotionally challenging experience, made even more so by the poignant musical score, but anyone who's ever struggled with any of the same issues as any of the characters – anyone, essentially, old enough to watch this film – will find the experience a rewarding and at last uplifting one.

Ikuna Okazaki

Reign of Fire

Disagreeable dragons threaten Man's very existence...

2002/US/101min/ Dir: Rob Bowman Cast: Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Izabella Scorupco

The premise of director Rob Bowman's (The X-Files) first foray into feature films is original but the execution is lacking to the point where only checking your head in at the door, can help bridge the gaping chasms in the storyline.

A London tunnel project breaks through into a cavern, awaking dragons that have lain dormant there for millennia. Very careless. Soon the planet is covered with millions of the things, scorching everything in sight and generally being very disagreeable. Despite valliant efforts to fight back, the remnants of the human race goes into hiding, hoping to outlast the beasts. Quinn (Christian Bale) leads one group of survivors who think they are alone until a band of heavily armed dragon slayers, led by Van Zan (McConaughey) roll up hoping to recruit fresh troops.

From here the questions pile up thick and fast. Where does Van Zan get his fuel? Why don't they use some of their more powerful hardware instead of axes and small arms? Why do dragons only attack one at a time? And so on, until the final credits roll.

Those able to suspend disbelief long enough will, however, be able to enjoy this flawed but novel flick. One of the more entertaining action movies to come along for a while.

Neil Buckton

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