The Double Hour (2009)

The first 60 minutes of The Double Hour were spellbinding. I knew next to nothing about the plot and so was gripped by the twists. It wrong-foots the viewer at every turn and compels you to continually revise your expectation of who's doing what to who, and why. You can't help but get involved with the character of Sonia, a magnetic performance from Kseniya RappoportThen, about an hour in, something happens that killed the film from then on for me. It slowly limped to its conclusion over the next half hour with little to match what had gone before.And that's my main gripe. If this had been a mediocre film throughout I would not have bothered posting a review. I see enough of them that it's not worth 10 minutes of my time to comment on OK films.The Double Hour sustained the promise of being great for a long time, and that wasted opportunity possibly unduly affected my overall view of the film. I suppose it sounds as though I'm saying I'd rather watch a completely average film than one that is two thirds great. Of course I wouldn't. But the plot device and the dull way in which The Double Hour plays out from then on makes it a frustrating experience.

Sonia, a chambermaid working in an upscale Turin hotel, gets the shock of her life as she enters to make the room of a young woman. Sonia insists in coming back later, but the girl assures her it is fine to clean the room. While doing the bathroom, Sonia hears a sound, goes to the room and through the open window she watches the dead guest ling on a roof in a pool of blood. Sonia, a single woman from Slovenia, frequents a place where unattached people go to meet others. The talks between prospective partners are timed, so the last person Sonia chats with is Guido, a widower recovering from the death of his wife. It is clear Sonia and Guido like each other, as they decide to go to his place for sex. Passing a digital clock displaying time in the twenty four hour fashion, Guido sees it is 23.23, a magical time in which to make a wish. We never get to know what his desire was.The attraction between Guido and Sonia is evident. He is a private security guard overseeing a country estate. Deciding to take Sonia to spend some time with him, they are surprised by a group of robbers who have brought a truck to steal the contents of the palace-like place. Overpowering Guido and Sonia, the man in charge, makes a move which indicates he recognizes her. When a shot is fired, Guido is killed and the bullet graces Sonia's forehead. "La doppia ora", directed by Giuseppe Capotondi, is not an easy film to sit through because it demands the viewer's full attention. This Italian film who was a favorite in the Venice film festival, deserves a second viewing in order to get all the clues that are so subtly placed within the narrative. The screenplay was a collaboration between Alessandro Fabri, Ludovica Rampoldi and Stefano Sardo. Much of the confusion a casual viewer will experiment stems from what is in Sonia's mind after she falls into a coma-like state at the hospital. As she visits Guido's grave, there is a funeral taking place in which a priest looks at the passing Sonia, as though recognizing her and later on, turning up again in her neighborhood and on another occasion. The screenplay mixes genres. Clarity was not in the mind of the writers, or in Mr. Capotondi while the film was being shot. It is a film that relies more on the different styles to create the thriller atmosphere.Ksenia Rappoport, the Russian actress, makes an excellent impression of her Sonia. She never disappoints as the mystery surrounding her makes her contribution to the film more exciting. Handsome Filippo Timi is wonderful as Guido. There is good chemistry between the two stars to create the passion and suspense that keeps this film going. Tad Ratcliffe's photography is right on target as well as Pasquale Catalano's musical score. Giuseppe Capotondi's film debut impresses.

i think this movie is so fuzzy and vague. i, personally detest the woman that has a beautiful face but with a black heart full of lie, just using man with a simple and decent love for attaining money and run away . you can't sympathy with the woman but so sympathetic about man and beautiful love of the man. a kind of unreality in going in and out of reality .it is far to believe that kind of story in real. the director do abstinence from using pornographic images . we can say it is not a film with hidden strings that catch the view of watcher . Sonia is pretty but we can say is without that warm which is needed for this film. i think the man is more better actor than the lead character Sonia. the atmosphere of the film is good but in total it is not a great and adorable movie.

Now I don't watch too many Italian movies, especially not on a tuesday evening in a commercial theater. And that's obviously a giant shame, because sometimes there's a foreign flick that stands out and is definitely worth your free time.La doppia ora (The double hour) contains the story of Sonia, a lonely woman looking for love in a devious speeddating bar. She actually does meet the interesting but remote Guido and the two strangers become two lovebirds. When Guido takes her up to his house in the forest to show her his work as a security agent, the house he's watching gets mugged. Both he and Sofia get shot and from then on strange things start to happen. In Sofia's surroundings people are committing suidice by the dozen and she starts to lose her mind. Guido, the only she trusts, is dead, or isn't he? La doppia ora is a smart, psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat for 95 minutes. The camera angles in the scenes are just a little bit different than normal and the overall sounds are well applied. The acting is good and very natural. This all together makes La doppia ora a terrific foreign flick. I'm excited to see more of award winning director Giuseppe Capotondi. Italy scores!