I just got back from seeing The Hours, and oh my, what an amazing movie. Really, really interesting, really well done, and very much touching on themes that I think are of interest to this board .
First, a little spoiler space for those who haven't seen it...
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I really liked this movie. I think it actually flirted a lot with the cliche, but unlike Joss' vision, it really *did* try and subvert it. Not only that, but it to some extent addresses the issue of the writer's responsibility and the choices that writers must make, especially in killing off characters. The Julianne Moore character, Laura Brown, at one point kisses another woman. She's clearly not happy with her life, and the awkwardness/embarassment of this situation almost push her over the edge... she's actually prepared to kill herself- checks into a hotel, has brought some pills and a book with her- a Virginia Wolfe book. At this point I am furious, actually ready to walk out of the theater if they really did kill this character. But this hotel scene is intercut with various other scenes, including a scene with Virgina Wolfe where she is asked by her niece what she's thinking... her reply "I was thinking of killing off my heroine. I've changed my mind" The Juliette Moore character then comes to the decision that she can't do it, won't do it...
The way it's handled, you're also left wondering "What if Virginia Wolfe had killed off that character. What if, instead of changing her mind, Laura Brown had, in that room, been reading a story where the heroine had been killed? Would she still have chosen life?"
Another very telling set of quotes, where Virginia's husband says "You said someone has to die in your book? Why?" (She has decided, although the heroine will survive, she will be killing off a character. There is also the death of a fairly important character in the movie) and her response is that a character must be killed so that others can learn to value life more. I am sure Joss would argue that that is what he was trying to do as well. Sadly, his "vision", far from being uplifting, ends up leaving you feeling sucker punched. This movie has some harsh moments, but overall I really liked it, and it did feel, to me, very uplifting and empowering in the end.
Tracy
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VILLOV
I troost yuu. Hurty flurty schnipp schnipp!
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Tara. Accept No Substitutes.
. Like in that old Chris Carter series, we have a protagonist who is psychic and investigates paranormal phenomena. Like the Lance Henrikson character, our hero is recruited by a mysterious group with unknown motives looking into religious/apocalyptic phenomena.
And, in some ways, I can even see their point, except, like I said, I felt they *did* subvert the cliches rather than giving in to them. 
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Catherine Deneuve (sp) is 
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at: 2/11/03 7:47:32 pm
you know sometimes you just feel like getting away from it all and watching something floaty..... but not with car crashes/guns/macho-boys
tough one. 
What is it about Puerto Rican women that just makes me all... fluttery in the tummy and turns me into a blabbering idiot? 
