If you want to watch a bunch of pointless depressed women do essentially nothing over the course of 2 hours (other than feel sorry for themselves and contemplate/commit suicide) then this is your movie....
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s135/Sig_Nuka/implied-facepalm.jpg
Agree.
shareMust be nice to be perfect.
Go away.
I agree with the OP. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with dark movies, but this was kind of ridiculous. I don't recall a single scene that had anything remotely positive or happy. When a movie is 100% dark and depressing, it becomes unrealistic to me. In addition, who would pay money to watch these characters and leave a theater feeling this empty and depressed? If someone can relate to these women, I don't think that watching this movie is going to help resolve their depression...
Edgar finds his purpose.
i am sure your life is much more interesting than theirs.
maybe u should write a movie about it, we'll see how exciting it surely is!
i am sure your life is much more interesting than theirs.
Why did you even see this movie in the first place when it was clearly going to be a dialogue heavy dark film?
shareAnd if I do want to watch a number of brilliant actresses (and lets be fair a number of amazing actors too) in a poignant and moving portrayal of repression, loss, inner-turmoil and ultimately, love.
Do I have your permission to watch this amazing film because I'm sorry if we can't all be cutting edge like you, but I love this film.
After reading the first six INCHES of your profile, I'd be surprised if you even made it through this movie.
Georgina: Are we safe here?
Michael: Does Albert read?
Yeah. I get it. But I was fed up with watching downtown cowboys and machos and macho bullies and (= depressed men)all the time, so this was something different. I mean, variety and stuff.
shareI actually agree, I honestly didn't care about any one of them. And The Hours covers several topics that are my absolute favorite. Sadly, in the end, Hours ended up being nothing more than a self loathing whine-fest about women living "comfortable" lives, who had real issues, but did little more than stare morosely into nothingness and steal a few kisses from their female friends. Neither of which was elaborated on to any real extent.
"Adultery makes a party go such a swing!" Naomi——Skins.
Isn't that kind of simplistic? Isn't Catcher in the Rye nothing more than a rich privileged teenager who wanders around New York City trying to get laid?
Isn't The Graduate about a privileged white guy who wanders around feeling depressed and hooking up with his much older neighbor and her daughter?
The difference between The Graduate and The Hours is that:
1) The Graduate doesn't feel the need to have a heavy musical score in every scene of the movie to properly express the grief and anxiety of Ben. His character is extremely well-developed and you can feel his anxiety and feelings of intimidation simply through his dialogue and Hoffman's body language. Mike Nichols puts you in Ben's world, but he never begs his audience to weep their eyes out for him like Daldry does. Nichols is far more respectful to the viewer with restrained direction by letting the events in the story unfold simply as they would appear as if we we were standing right there with him. There's no overbearing musical score to mask how completely underdeveloped and unengaging the characters and story are, because they aren't. It's a terrific script with terrific performances and character development because the characters are like real people who try to conceal their vulnerability and flaws rather than practically beg to the camera for sympathy because of how shi_tty their lives are.
2) The Graduate certainly addresses heavy themes, but it never thinks it's too high and mighty to see and embrace the humor in its situation. No, the subject matter of The Hours isn't funny by any means, but it doesn't even embrace subtext. It throws everything right to the surface instead of creating a layered story where we slowly discover new things about each character, that would hereby raise the stakes and emotional tension. Characters need to be interesting from the beginning, but a huge sob story from that same point is totally unnecessary and way too demanding of an audience. Writers need to treat the audience' relationship with the character like an actual close friendship. There is an instantaneous close connection between character and audience member by something that is relatively trivial, but unique, but as this relationship continues to develop, the character is then at liberty to show a much deeper side of themselves. Would you embrace an emotional basketcase as a friend when first meeting them? Let's be honest with ourselves here. You can use the argument that a closeted homosexual will instantly find themselves sympathizing with the character because they know exactly what they are going through - but in reality, not everyone is the same; writers and directors need to make these characters relatable and likable to people who have not lived in the same circumstances. That's what separates good storytelling from self-important nonsense. I'm a straight male and I couldn't relate to The Hours on any level whatsoever. Yet at the same time, Brokeback Mountain which covers a very similar subject matter was a film that hit me on many emotional levels and haunted me for months after seeing it for the first time. Its emotional punch were in its words and story progression, as opposed to dark & ominous piano music trying to create a somber feeling.
Illusions Michael. Tricks are something whores do for money.
I'm not trying to say that the Hours is on the same field as the Graduate, I was just responding to the OP's overly simplistic view that anyone privileged is not vulnerable to depression.
The Graduate is obviously a superior film. But I think the Hours still caters to a particular subgroup of women extremely effectively, especially with the music (though I don't think Simon and Garfunkel made The Graduate particularly profound. By your criteria, isn't that equally self-absorbed, even moreso with its lyrics as opposed to an abstract score?). These are two different treatments, two different kinds of depression. The kind referred to in the Hours is definitely more trying on the nerves to bear with, and the first time I saw the movie, I was kind of perplexed. The second time came a few years later and as an older teenage girl, I could relate exactly to the women. It was bit of a personal blow.
On the other hand, I still can't manage any kind of love for Brokeback Mountain (and with its repetitive score + minimal dialogue, it's very similar to The Hours, you're right) except a faint admiration for the performances after several reviewings, so......potatoes poh-tah-toes, I guess.
Personally, I think the reason the Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack works is because it's not used in virtually every scene like the score was in The Hours. It was used enough to compliment the film rather than be a total distraction by constantly shoving Ben's depression/mellow personality down your throat.
Illusions Michael. Tricks are something whores do for money.
No offense, but I'm pretty sure that the Simon and Garfunkel song was used many, many times. Excessively, when you think about the fact that it's only one song, whereas the low-key score for the Hours was able to fade into the background very subtly. In fact, while watching The Graduate, I remember thinking "this song AGAIN?"
share@ Lolaposen
No offence, but you lose your argument with TheLastStop41 by a country mile on all counts. The information you provided about the music in The Hours and The Graduate is incorrect and your claim is unjustified, if not laughable.
There are only THREE music pieces used in The Hours while there are ELEVEN compositions used on the soundtrack of The Graduate: FIVE by Simon and Garfunkel, and SIX by Dave Grusin. Of the THREE pieces used on the soundtrack of The Hours, ONE is a very depressing piece repeatedly pounded into your brain over and over and over again, for all but ten minutes of the movie. The music from The Hours is anything but low key and subtle. This music was often inappropriate, extremely repetitive, and mind-numbingly boring while the soundtrack of The Graduate is versatile, refreshing and ever changing, and compliments the changing scenes and emotions portrayed in that movie.
You need to check your facts before making such wildly inaccurate claims.
So you like The Hours. That's okay, you're entitled to your opinion, but please do not use misinformation to support your opinion about this terribly over-rated, boring and depressing movie while negating an infinitely superior movie. True, some songs in The Graduate were repeated up to four times, for periods from as little as twenty seconds to up to two mintues, but the music of The Hours was unchanging for almost two hours and assaulted your senses over and over again.
I was born when she kissed me, I died when she left me, I lived while she loved me.
Well hello mr/miss Congeniality.
"You cannot find peace by avoiding life"