Winner of numerous awards this multi perspective drama from director Stephen Daldry (who hit the big time with Billy Elliott) weaves in the stories of three women from three different eras all going through pivotal moments in their lives.

Opening with famed author Virginia Woolf in 1923 writing her novel Mrs Dalloway (Woolf is played by Nicole Kidman and her famous prosthetic nose - which incidentally took three hours each day to apply). Woolf is midway through a mental breakdown as she battles to complete her novel, cut to post world war II Los  Angeles where Julianne Moore’s Laura Brown is reading Mrs Dalloway and using it as an inspiration to make wide reaching changes in her life, cut again to Meryl Streep as Clarissa Vaughan in modern day New York City, who seemingly bases her life on the character whilst caring for her former lover Richard (Ed Harris) who is dying of Aids.

Initially you are unsure of where all of these time frames and characters tie-in but they do although to reveal how would destroy the enjoyment somewhat. Daldry is a first rate director capturing the different eras beautifully, especially the dark brown dinginess of the 1920’s and the ginghams and colours of the post war optimistic generation, he also employs the clever device of a ringing alarm clock or flowers being placed in a vase happening simultaneously in each era allowing the changes between decades to be pretty seamless.

The three leads are uniformly excellent in their roles with most of the kudos going to Julianne Moore’s beautiful fragility as Laura, Toni Collette also has a small role as Laura’s ebullient best friend who breaks down when she fears she may have cancer.

Highly charged, emotional and a treatise on the meaning of happiness the Hours is the kind of movie that stays with you long after you’ve seen it. 

Extras: A good package that includes a great little documentary on Woolf called The Mind and Times of Virginia Woolf, a feature on the music used in the movie, a feature on the three lead characters, an introduction to the movie from Stephen Daldry, the theatrical trailer and an expansive audio commentary.