In the

In the

Stephen Daldry 's The Hours ' is a film adaptation of Michael Cunningham 's novel of the same title . The story is some sorts of homage to Virginia Woolf 's novel , Mrs . Dalloway . The movie tells the story of three women in three different periods , facing three different situations yet seamlessly woven together (The Hours 2003

Virginia Woolf , Laura Brown and Clarissa Vaughan (wonderfully portrayed by Nicole Kidman , Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep respectively ) are the protagonists in the film , all linked together by one thing- Woolf 's novel (The

Hours 2003 . Like Mrs . Dalloway , the movie details a day in the life of all three women , akin to Woolf 's protagonist Clarissa . This style is only the beginning of the various parallelisms between the film and the novel

Mrs . Dalloway 's stream-of-consciousness style is also mirrored in the film , wherein the characters deal not just the moment they are in but also provide a back story of their memories to enable the viewers follow the thoughts of each character . Death , social alienation , self-pity making choices , time and timeliness are the major themes of Mrs Dalloway ' and it is also evident in the The Hours . The film presents tapestry of human emotions in its raw form , something Clarissa Dalloway is constantly plagued with

In the novel , the readers are given a glimpse in a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway 's life In the movie , the viewers are witnessed to a day in the lives of three women- Virginia in the midst of a mental breakdown , Laura feeling depressed while living a rather bland life with his husband and son , and Clarissa planning a part in honor of a friend dying from AIDS . The novel 's Clarissa is likewise crippled recovering from illness and longing to deal with her inner turmoil : love for her husband and for her old suitor . The novel 's protagonist is also sensitive to the moment . The readers are absorbed into Clarissa 's feelings . The movie also delivers the same punch . Virginia , Laura and Clarissa 's hours ' unravel before the viewers , providing inkling to their innermost thoughts . Their lives are also different yet have striking similarities . And it 's not just the book that threads them together . It 's their innermost insights , transcending beyond time

The beautiful costume design and subdued setting helped enormously in visualizing the atmosphere of the movie . However , the film 's artistic merits do not lie in its luminous cinematography but in the extraordinary performances of the three actresses . Julianne Moore as the reader Laura is vulnerable and she acts it . When she talks to her son one can see the fragility in her eyes . Meryl Streep 's Clarissa is the most grounded character . She is aware of everything around her , the same way Clarissa Dalloway is , dissecting other people . But it is Kidman 's Woolf that stands out , not just because of her prosthetic nose , rather the way the actress molds into Virginia Woolf . From her haunted stares...