“The Double Hour” Review

“The Double Hour” stars Kseniya Rappoport as Sonia, a hotel maid, and Filippo Timi as Guido, an ex-cop turned security guard. The two meet in a speed dating club and soon begin a courtship that abruptly ends when Guido is shot and killed by one of the masked men that decide to ransack the art museum Guido is in charge of guarding. With Guido on that faithful day is Sonia. The bullet that travels through Guido’s body strikes Sonia leaving her on the verge of death. When she wakes up, Sonia tries to return to her regular life until she begins to be haunted by images and apparitions of Guido. The events that follow are stranger than fiction as one plotline twists and turns into another one in a completely different direction. This romantic thriller never has a dull moment, and having the audience discover truths and answers along with Sonia greatly contributes to this tumultuous rollercoaster.

This Italian film blends the styles of film noir, melodrama, and suspense that drives the plot in many, but fantastic, ways. Kseniya Rappoport gives a great performance as does Filippo Timi. The plot however is hard to follow and understand once the film reaches its end. The ending itself is very complex. What director Guiseppe Capotandi was trying to convey never materialized into a concrete idea that is easy to digest. I will not spoil the ending nor the big twists in this movie but there are certain events that give the sense of unfinished business.

One of the things that is never fully explained is the title. In a scene, Guido compares the double hour (i.e. 23:23, 14:14, 02:02) as a shooting star where if you make a wish anything is possible. When Sonia asks if it ever works, referring to the wishes, Guido responds no. Taking this exchange of dialogue into consideration one can argue that the double hour is used simply as a memento or promise that no matter what happens in the lives of both characters they are forever bound.  Yet another theory is that the double hour is a rebirth of oneself is the form of a second chance; a second chance of correcting an error or finishing unfinished business perhaps. Even more thrilling is the notion that although life can take unexpected twists and turns it does not change the outcome.

The film is one of the most clever pictures I have seen in recent times that hail all the way from Italy. I recommend it for adults as it does contain scenes with strong sexual content. Rumor has it that production studios in the United States want to make an English version of this movie. I’ll just stick with the original.

SCREENINGS AT SBIFF: Tuesday February 1, 7:40 PM at Metro 4 Theater III.

WATCH THE TRAILER:

The Double Hour