The Double Hour

Last updated
The Double Hour
The Double Hour.jpg
The Double Hour DVD cover
Directed by Giuseppe Capotondi
Written by Alessandro Fabbri
Ludovica Rampoldi
Stefano Sardo
Produced by Francesca Cima
Nicola Giuliano
Starring Filippo Timi
Kseniya Rappoport
Cinematography Tat Radcliffe
Edited by Guido Notari
Music by Pasquale Catalano
Distributed by Medusa Film
Release dates
  • September 10, 2009 (2009-09-10)(Venice)
  • October 9, 2009 (2009-10-09)(Italy)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian
Budget€2.8 million
$4.3 million [1]
Box office$2,848,165 [1]

The Double Hour (Italian : La doppia ora) is a 2009 Italian romantic thriller film. It is directed by Giuseppe Capotondi, produced by Francesca Cima and Nicola Giuliano, and stars Filippo Timi and Kseniya Rappoport. Principal photography began in October 2008 in Turin, Italy. The film opened in Italy on October 9, 2009, after premiering in competition at Venice Film Festival in September 2009, where it eventually won the Volpi Cup award for Best Actress for Rappoport. It was also screened at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival. [2] Samuel Goldwyn Films released The Double Hour in the US on April 15, 2011. [3]

Contents

Plot

Sonia, a maid in a hotel in Turin, is cleaning a guest's bathroom when the guest apparently jumps out the bedroom window to her death.

Later, Sonia attends a speed dating event where she meets Guido, a former policeman who now works as a security guard. They strike up a friendship, and spend some time together after the event. As they part, Guido notices that the time is 23:23 - a double hour, when the hour and minute are the same. He believes that at such times, one may make a wish and it will be granted - although he admits to Sonia that it doesn't always work.

Some days later, Guido takes Sonia to the country villa where he works. The villa has an elaborate security system, but Guido disables part of the system so that the two of them can go for a walk in the grounds.

In the woods, they are ambushed by an armed man and Guido is knocked unconscious. Waking up in the villa, he is forced by armed men in balaclavas to disable the security system. The robbers systematically loot the villa of its art treasures and other valuables. As they leave, the leader of the gang menaces Sonia, suggesting he is about to rape her. Enraged, Guido launches himself at him. They struggle, and a shot is fired, but it is not clear what happened next.

Sonia is shown back at work, then visiting Guido's grave-site. She is distracted at work, frequently seeing glimpses of Guido's face, sometimes at a double hour. She is questioned by Dante, a policeman and former colleague of Guido, who suspects the robbery at the villa may have been an inside job. Dante gives her a photograph which appears to show her with Guido in Buenos Aires, although she has never been there.

Sonia feels her sanity slipping away as her visions of Guido become more frequent and elaborate. Finally she is devastated when she hears that her friend and workmate, Margherita, has committed suicide by jumping out a window.

At Margherita's funeral, Sonia is distraught when the officiating priest names the deceased as Sonia instead of Margherita. Bruno, a regular guest at the hotel, takes Sonia away in his car. He gives her a flask which he says contains coffee and a hint of liqueur. Sonia drinks, and is drugged. Bruno drives to a wooded area and drags Sonia out of the car, wrapping her in a plastic sheet and burying her in a shallow grave. Sonia blacks out, and is at the point of death when Guido digs her up and rescues her.

Actually, Sonia is recovering from unconsciousness in a hospital. She learns that only three days have elapsed since the robbery, and everything she experienced since was only her imagination, as she lay in coma. She was wounded in the head by that gunshot. And Guido and Margherita are both alive and well.

Guido is made aware when Dante tells him that Sonia has a criminal past, when 12 years earlier she helped her boyfriend rob her father's home, but Guido asks they be left in peace. Guido goes to see the speed-dating organizer to tell her he no longer needs her events, but when she tells him that Sonia specifically asked to meet him, Dante's suppositions are confirmed to Guido. He goes to her apartment and has sex with her, but the next morning she tells him she has to go see Margherita. He, knowing she is leaving him as Dante had suggested she would, follows her surreptitiously, and, in the airport garage, sees her meet the robbery gang leader, whom she embraces and kisses, and who bears a resemblance to Guido. He eavesdrops on their conversation with a shotgun microphone, and learns that he was not supposed to have survived the robbery. As the couple get into an elevator, Sonia sees Guido, sitting in his car, who is in the process of calling Dante. Guido looks at Sonia, and she looks at him, unsure. The elevator door closes, and Guido hangs up, not reporting anything to Dante.

Nervously, Sonia boards a flight to Buenos Aires using a false identity. She notices that the boarding time is 20:20 - a double hour, and dwells to think for a moment.

In the final scenes, Guido is forlorn, and back speed-dating, while Sonia and the gang leader are shown being photographed together in Buenos Aires.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds 82% approval rating, based on 67 reviews with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Rich in atmosphere and cunningly told, The Double Hour is a pleasurable puzzle that will keep audiences guessing throughout". [5] On Metacritic, The Double Hour holds a 72 out of a 100 rank based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [6]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote "With its extremely tight editing and breakneck pace, The Double Hour is strung through with small jolts that may or may not be leads in a circuitous pursuit of the truth". [7] Natasha Senjanovic of The Hollywood Reporter had praised Giuseppe Capotondi, calling his debut feature "a smart psychological thriller" citing that "the one fatal, [and stereotypical] flaw that Slavic women in Italian television and cinema must be dark, tormented characters who hardly ever smile". [8]

According to Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly : "Nothing in this enjoyably twisty, cool/hot, genre-grafting Italian psychological thriller by Giuseppe Capotondi is what it seems". Adding that "the more you try to solve the narrative puzzle, the more you may want to watch it again — or at least argue about what’s real". [9]

Beth Accomando of KPBS Public Media called The Double Hour "[a] sleek Euro thriller", [10] while Peter Galvin of Australia-based SBS wrote "The Double Hour has the visceral impact of, say, mystery TV. Not very memorable at all, really". [11]

Walter Addiego of the San Francisco Chronicle praised the film also, but mentioned of one caveat: "Ultra-teasing narratives" which he also calls "gimmickry" and "a problem" with the film. [12]

The film also received praise from Slant Magazine 's Jesse Cataldo who compared the film to The Postman Always Rings Twice , [13] and from Boyd van Hoeij of Variety who called the film a "pic" that "showcases the acting chops and engaging screen presence of Ksenia Rappoport". [14]

Awards and nominations

Remake

In 2009, the producer of the film Nicola Giuliano announced that there are a lot of requests from the US to buy the rights to produce an English-language remake. [15]

During the Venice Film Festival the cast and director joked with journalists about the possibility of an American remake with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts in the main roles. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandra Bullock</span> American actress and producer (born 1964)

Sandra Annette Bullock is an American actress and producer. She has received numerous awards and nominations, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She was the world's highest-paid actress in 2010 and 2014. In 2010, she was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margherita Sarfatti</span> Italian writer, journalist and art critic

Margherita Sarfatti was an Italian journalist, art critic, patron, collector, socialite, and prominent propaganda adviser of the National Fascist Party. She was Benito Mussolini's biographer as well as one of his mistresses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connie Nielsen</span> Danish actress (born 1965)

Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen is a Danish actress.

<i>Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai</i> 2000 Indian film

Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic thriller film written, directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. It marks the debuts of his son Hrithik Roshan and actress Ameesha Patel. Upon its release on 14 January 2000, the film along with Roshan's debut act and the soundtrack album became an instant sensational Blockbuster Success. It earned over 800 million worldwide, becoming the second highest-grossing film of 2000.

<i>Aitraaz</i> 2004 Hindi romantic thriller courtroom drama film by Abbas-Mustan

Aitraaz (transl. Objection) is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film directed by Abbas–Mustan and produced by Subhash Ghai. It stars Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor.

<i>Nine</i> (musical) 1982 American stage musical

Nine is a musical initiated by and with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit. It is based on the 1963 film .

<i>36 China Town</i> 2006 Indian film

36 China Town is a 2006 Hindi English-language mystery thriller comedy film directed by Abbas-Mustan and produced by Subhash Ghai. It is an official adaption of the 1992 American film Once upon a Crime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margherita Buy</span> Italian actress

Margherita Buy is an Italian actress. She is a seven-time David di Donatello Awards winner and seven-time Nastro d'Argento winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kseniya Rappoport</span> Russian actress (born 1974)

Kseniya Aleksandrovna Rappoport is a Russian actress. She graduated in 2000 from Saint Petersburg Academy of Theatrical Arts and was immediately invited to join the Maly Drama Theatre. She played Nina Zarechnaya in The Seagull, Elena in Uncle Vania, and Sonia in La doppia ora.

<i>Ajnabee</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Abbas–Mustan

Ajnabee (transl. Stranger) is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Abbas–Mustan and produced by Vijay Galani. It stars Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu, with Johnny Lever, Dalip Tahil, Narendra Bedi and Sharat Saxena in supporting roles. In the film, a man goes on the run after being framed for the murder of his neighbour's wife. The film was identified as an adaptation of the 1992 American thriller Consenting Adults, though Deol denied this. The music was composed by Anu Malik.

<i>The Unknown Woman</i> 2006 Italian film

The Unknown Woman is a 2006 Italian psychological thriller mystery film, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore that depicts a woman alone in a foreign country, haunted by a horrible past. Although selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 80th Academy Awards and make the, it was not final nomination.

Cristiana Capotondi is an Italian actress.

<i>Torso</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by Sergio Martino

Torso is a 1973 Italian giallo film directed by Sergio Martino, produced by Carlo Ponti, and starring Suzy Kendall, Tina Aumont, Luc Merenda, and John Richardson. Martino’s fifth gialli, the film centers on a string of brutal murders of young female students at an international college in Perugia. Several critics describe it as one of the earliest examples of a slasher film.

<i>Nine</i> (2009 live-action film) 2009 romantic musical drama film by Rob Marshall

Nine is a 2009 romantic musical drama film directed and co-produced by Rob Marshall from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella, based on the stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1963 film . In addition to songs from the stage musical, all written by Maury Yeston, the film has three original songs, also written by Yeston. The ensemble cast consists of Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, and Sophia Loren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">66th Venice International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 66th annual Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was held from 2 to 12 September 2009, with Maria Grazia Cucinotta serving as the festival's hostess. The opening film of the festival was Baarìa by Giuseppe Tornatore and the closing film was Chengdu, I Love You by Fruit Chan and Cui Jian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuseppe Capotondi</span> Italian director

Giuseppe Capotondi is an Italian director of feature films, music videos and commercials signed to Oil Factory in the United States and Factory Films in the United Kingdom. Before signing with Factory Films, he worked with Battlecruiser and Soixan7e Quin5e.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margarita Luti</span> Italian mistress and model of Raphael

Margarita Luti was the mistress and model of Raphael. The story of their love has become "the archetypal artist–model relationship of Western tradition", yet little is known of her life. Of her, Flaubert wrote, in his Dictionary of Received Ideas, "Fornarina. She was a beautiful woman. That is all you need to know."

<i>The Best Offer</i> 2013 film directed by Giuseppe Tornatore

The Best Offer is a 2013 Australian-English-language Italian psychological thriller film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. The film stars Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sturgess, Sylvia Hoeks, and Donald Sutherland. The music score was composed by Ennio Morricone.

<i>Destroyer</i> (2018 film) 2018 film directed by Karyn Kusama

Destroyer is a 2018 American neo-noir crime drama film directed by Karyn Kusama, written and co-produced by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, and starring Nicole Kidman with Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Scoot McNairy, Bradley Whitford, and Sebastian Stan. The film follows a former undercover police officer (Kidman), who takes revenge against members of a gang, years after her case was blown.

The Circeo massacre was a rape and murder case that occurred in the Italian town of San Felice Circeo, in the Province of Latina in the Lazio region, between September 29 and 30, 1975. The case involved three men who kidnapped and raped two young women, one of whom died.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Double Hour". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  2. "The Double Hour". TIFF. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "La doppia ora" (in Italian). Indigo Film. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. "The Double Hour". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  6. "The Double Hour (2011)". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  7. Holden, Stephen (14 April 2011). "Romance or Film Noir? Both, and a Thriller". The New York Times . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  8. Senjanovic, Natasha (25 September 2009). "The Double Hour: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  9. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (13 May 2011). "The Double Hour Movie Review". Entertainment Weekly .
  10. Accomando, Beth (21 May 2011). "Review: 'The Double Hour'". KPBS Public Media . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  11. Galvin, Peter (22 September 2010). "The Double Hour Review". SBS . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  12. Addiego, Walter (7 December 2011). "'The Double Hour' review: A risky stab at dating". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  13. Cataldo, Jesse (11 April 2011). "Review: The Double Hour". Slant Magazine .
  14. van Hoeij, Boyd (11 September 2009). "The Double Hour". Variety .
  15. """La doppia ora" verso il remake Usa"". Cinecittà. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  16. Vazzoler, Marlen (10 September 2009). "Se dovessero fare un remake del vostro film chi vorreste che interpretasse Sonia e Guido?". Mymovies.it . Retrieved 17 July 2021.