Hours (2013)
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Before sunrise on August 29, 2005, Nolan Hayes (PAUL WALKER) arrives at a New Orleans hospital with his pregnant wife, Abigail (GENESIS RODRIGUEZ), who has gone into early labor. What should be one of the happiest days of Nolan's life quickly spirals out of control when the birth goes tragically wrong and Hurricane Katrina ravages the hospital, forcing an evacuation. Told to stay with his child, who is on a ventilator, and await transfer by ambulance, Nolan and his newborn are soon cut off from … More- Rating:
- PG-13 (for thematic elements, violence and drug material)
- Genre:
- Mystery & Suspense , Drama
- Directed By:
- Eric Heisserer
- Written By:
- Eric Heisserer
- In Theaters:
- Dec 13, 2013 Limited
- On DVD:
- Mar 4, 2014
Cast
-
Nick Gomez
as Lobo -
Genesis Rodriguez
as Abigail -
Christopher Matthew ...
as Lenny
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– Rotten Tomatoes
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LoginCritic Reviews for Hours
All Critics (28) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (11)
Walker's performance - along with the film - gets more and more engrossing.
While uneven, the film is uniquely involving - right down to a final shot that will break your heart into a million pieces.
Hurricane Katrina has already been pretty thoroughly mined for documentaries and fictional stories, but "Hours" holds your interest nonetheless.
Most of the movie elicits tense empathy, which builds to a genuinely nerve-wracking sense of dread.
Take away the on-the-nose title and some half-hearted stabs at symbolism, and what's left is a B-thriller of the "they don't make 'em like they used to" variety.
Hours has a great B-movie premise, but at 97 minutes, the strain of keeping the story going, and throwing more obstacles in Nolan's way, starts to show.
Could've marked a turning point in Paul Walker's career to more interesting and demanding projects post-age-40.
A lean, palpably tense thriller. Paul Walker gives the best performance of his career.
As one of the last completed roles by [Paul Walker]...it feels nice to be able to luxuriate in the actor's presence. In another set of circumstances, Hours could have proved to other filmmakers what the actor was capable of
The chemistry Walker shares with Rodriguez is terrific as the two played off of each other perfectly.
Called upon to carry almost the entire movie by himself, Walker has a tough time mustering genuine emotion, although he does better in the few legitimately tense scenes.
[Paul Walker's] need to show off, which marred his turn in the 2005 whatzit 'Running Scared,' usually disappears, he relaxes and suddenly he seems like an actor who could only have gotten better.
For those who wish to see [Walker] at his best, "Hours" is worth the time.
Walker's working hard here, and he has to carry the entire show, but many of the interactions he has with the other characters are melodramatic, the dialogue often feels flimsy, and the script stretches to give him more problems to take on.
Represents a change of pace for the performer, who delivers some of his best work in this odd thriller, which somehow transfers the bomb-on-a-bus concept of "Speed" to an infant-on-a-incubator ride of suspense and heartbreaking stakes.
Even when the movie and some ill-advised lighter moments let him down, Walker holds his own.
From the evidence here, Walker's forte may have been not action but stillness-a knack for embodying ordinary Joes without any fussiness.
Audience Reviews for Hours
In one of Paul Walker's best performances to date, "Hours" follows a man after the loss of his wife during childbirth and he must keep his baby breathing in the incubator with no power during the events of Hurricane Katrina. The premise of this film sold me right from the start and it was just the film that he needed to boost his performance stature. Taking place mainly in one building for the entire film, this low-budget film is a true marvel and really something to strive to be able to pull off. While this film has a few script issues and there are a few predictable moments, Paul Walker's performance vibrates off the screen and the emotion in this film is handled beautifully. Almost every scene made me tear up, because they knew how to handle it. Aside from it's few faults, "Hours" is a great film!
MoreSuper Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Every second counts.
Great final Film to an Excellent Actor!!! This film amazed me as I am not normally into this genre. I went in not expecting anything really but by the end I was captivated and really cheering Paul Walker on. Paul Walker does an amazing job and he made the film for me, his emotion and grit shone through. By the end I found myself emotionally attached to the story and really immersed in the story. This is a survival story above all and I applaud Paul Walker in his role. May he Rest in Peace!
A father struggles to keep his infant daughter alive in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Super Reviewer
Though sometimes melodramatic and not entirely unfamiliar, Hours succeeds at being an affecting drama, recounting one man's experience in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Set in 2005, the film follows a soon-to-be-widowed man, left to care for his infant daughter, being stabilized only via a ventilator, in the midst of one of the greatest natural catastrophes to hit the country.
As the story itself is rather confined, centering entirely on Nolan Hayes (played by Paul Walker), and his efforts to rescue his daughter, its' success as a narrative and as a film overall is very much hinged on Walker's performance. This, to be sure, is the biggest surprise of the film, finding a much more dramatically nuanced Walker than in his previous exploits, with an affecting presence, relentless tenacity, and calmness under pressure which is perfect for the role.
The film itself does a good job of using the hurricane as a backdrop, incorporating the very real realities of what went on (ex. sniper fire, abandoned hospitals, looting), without losing sight of the film's central focus. There is, of course, a number of moments which feel a bit too over-dramatized, and we get a sense quickly of where the story will end up.
Yet the film's earnestness is never called in to question, resulting in a film that never ceases to be engaging.
3.5/5 Stars
Super Reviewer
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