about
You're reading a really old version of matt-thornton's website. For example, if you're looking at the movie reviews... you'll notice that none of them are of recent films. Indeed, I leave them here for posterity's sake, but I doubt very much that they'll get updated anytime soon. So have a giggle.
You might, if you're lucky, find something recent from Matt at his blog matt's debates. Kernow bys vyken.
The Hours
the one line review:
a good film; shit book
the overview
The book came first, then they made the film, and I heard all about it. In typical fashion I decided to read the book before watching the film. And considering it's no more than 150 pages, it seemed like a simple undertaking. Heck no. I couldn't finish it.
the plot:
It's a bit screwy - there are three women - each of them in a different era of the 20th century. Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) is an author who writes a book that Julianne Moore is reading in the 60's about Meryl Streep a woman in the 90's. The theme of the book is choices and life and being depressed - namely - what do people do to be happy - and given the choice, would they do anything differently?
The film follows the life of each of these women to their somewhat bitter end.
the verdict:
As a book I found it impossible to keep up. The film is, for obvious reasons, much easier to follow. It's incredibly depressing - it tells the story of three women, whom for one reason or another are totally miserable, in their own little way.
It works really nicely though, and is quite gripping. The constant jumping between the eras is at first a little offputting but it eventually slots in to place.
And it's common knowledge that anything Nicole Kidman works for me. Even in this, where she is so heavily made up that for the first 30 minutes I was wondering when she was actually going to be in the film. It was most bizarre - but somehow the beautiful intricacies of her personality that you would normally associate with her look filtered through to her onscreen character.
Well worth a look if you fancy something a little bit different and need something to think about.
All movie reviews
