One depressing movie week: Requiem for a Dream (2000) and The Hours(2002)

Instead of watching some happy, family friendly movie, or standing in line to see the sure-to-be-hideous "Twilight" movie, I chose to curl up with two really depressing (and one REALLY disturbing), but truly fantastic movies from the first half of the decade. Here's a few quick thoughts...

1. The Hours (2002): I never had much of an urge to see this film...at all. Yes, it stars three of my favorite contemporary actresses, and yes, it's the role that one of those favorite actresses won her Oscar for (Ms. Kidman), but it all seemed like an overblown, pretentious piece of feminist fluff (albeit, very dark fluff). At the insistence of a friend, I finally caved and rented it, and I could not have been more blown away. Though the initial half hour or so had me thinking "good, but not great", by the time the three-way story arc came to its conclusion, I was fascinated, and unable to look away. Though I'm not sure whether Kidman is actually a lead or not (Moore and Streep had more screen time than her by a significant margin), it's still a very strong performance, even though it's not my favorite of hers. While many fans of this performance often cite the "train station monologue" as her best moment, I found Kidman's Virginia Woolf (kudos to the makeup department by the way) the most compelling in her opening voice over, where we hear her dictate her good-bye letter to her husband. With her voice lowered an octave, the opening speech is delivered with masterful sublety, that conceals the psyche of a woman who is about to collapse and commit suicide. Moore and Streep are also excellent, though I think Moore might turn out to be the winner here. While, yes, she does have the most expressive performance, there's plenty of nuance as well. And then there's Philip Glass' neverending score, which only ratchets up the emotional tension even further. The only aspect I'm not too keen on is Ed Harris. Though he's certainly a fine actor, I couldn't quite buy him as a tortured artsy type of person. Everytime he endearingly called Streep "Mrs. Dalloway", I began to cringe just a bit. Still, it's certainly not enough to ruin the movie for me, and after several years of strong resistance to this film, I'm glad that I overcame my (purely speculative) prejudices and gave it a watch; those depressing two hours were quite the reward.

Grade: A

Nominations for 2002: Best Picture, Best Director - Stephen Daldry, Best Actress - Nicole Kidman, Best Actress - Meryl Streep, Best Actress - Julianne Moore (WINNER), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score - Philip Glass(WINNER)


2. Requiem for a Dream: When someone tells you "don't do this/see this/touch this/etc...", the natural human inclination is, of course, to go out and do that which you have been told not to. Such is the case with Requiem for a Dream, which several friends ( and even a few adults in their 40s) advised me against, simply because it was "compelling, but too hard to watch". After sitting through the movie, I can understand why they feel that way, but even at its most disturbing, I found Requiem to be so hynotic that I couldn't look away, even when the worst fates befell the four main characters. Shot in a very organic, unique style that only helps it feel more real (and thus, the hallucination scenes all the more bizarre). A character heads outside, and we're treated to a closeup of the sun and hear a sizzling noise, and then we cut back to the actual scene about to take place. It sounds odd on paper, but it works marvelously (and Clint Mansell's strange score only enhances this). I won't give away any of the plot other than that it centers on drug addiction (bring the kids!), but I will say that Ms. Ellen Burstyn was flat out robbed of an Oscar (no offense to Julia Roberts). Her transformation from normal old lady to self destructive, image-obsessed addict is phenomenal and heartbreaking all at once. The supporting cast are also excellent, with Jared Leto as Burstyn's son, Jennifer Connelly (please marry me) as his girlfriend, and most surprisingly, Marlon Wayans, a man best known for comedies like...White Chicks. I feel like I can't say much more before I'd have to start skirting around plot details, but despite the downward spiral the story takes, Requiem is a fascinating and devastating journey, made even more special by it's innovative directing style.

Grade: A

Nominations for 2000: Best Picture(WINNER), Best Director - Darren Aronofsky(WINNER), Best Actress - Ellen Burstyn(WINNER), Best Actor - Jared Leto, Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Connelly(WINNER), Best Supporting Actor - Marlon Wayans, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score - Clint Mansell(WINNER)