Very Cool!!!

Fantastic!

The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

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.

Very clever plot, plot twists and no preposterous, unguessable ending but a real one, whether you like what happens or not. There is hardly a wasted moment in this film but what is most remarkable is how believable the characters and circumstances are yet become no less believable when everything is turned on its head. I found myself asking questions throughout that became promptly answered by a new event or circumstance. This curiosity, answer seeking, followed by resolution, rather than being annoying, was very enjoyable. The hard-boiled investigating cop, though a stereotypical character, plot devise, etc., was very good. I hope good, tight, intelligent films like this will always be made.

THE DOUBLE HOUR (LA DOPPIA ORA) is a maze of a film, one of those films that seem to have a straightforward storyline until suddenly what has been happening in front of our eyes is not at all the real story. The script by Alessandro Fabbri, Ludovica Rampoldi and Stefano Sardo is smart, clever in a Hitchcockian way,and succeeds in keeping us on the periphery of a fascinating tale. This is Giuseppe Capotondi's first film as a director and it gives notice of a new talent on the horizon.The setting is Turin. Sonia (gifted and stunningly beautiful Russian actress Kseniya Rappoport) works as a chambermaid in an elegant hotel and in the opening scene she witnesses the suicide of the woman whose room she is cleaning. Apparently distraught by the incident she seeks refuge in a speed dating club run by the mysterious Marisa (Lucia Poli) who watches carefully as Sonia encounters the club's most frequent attendee, former cop Guido (Filippo Timi). Both Sonia and Guido are cautious about involvement but eventually they leave Turin for a country weekend getaway. Guido is serving as a security guard for a wealthy Italian, but the house is empty and Guido turns off the security system. While the two are having an amorous tryst the house is invaded by thieves who steal everything and shoot Guido, grazing Sonia with a bullet. Events occur that are not as they seem and Sonia's strange past is relived before our eyes - or is what we are seeing the effects of Sonia being in a coma after the shooting? To say more would be to deprive the viewer of the very strange twists and turns this story takes until the final few minutes of the film when the audience realizes they have been part of the charade.Kseniya Rappoport won the Best Actress award in the 2009 Venice Film Festival for the complex and multifaceted performance she offers in this film. The supporting cast is excellent with Filippo Timi being particularly talented in holding together an impossible to believe character study. The musical score by Pasquale Catalano and the cinematography by Tat Radcliffe add immeasurably to the film. For those who appreciate challenging plots and superb writing this film will surely satisfy. Grady Harp

I just got back from viewing a screening of this film at the 2009 TIFF. I am very glad that I went this year, because this was one of the most enjoyable experiences I had at the theatre in some time.The Double Hour was billed as a surreal thriller, so I was expecting something Lynchian. However, this film does not leave any loose ends. Any confusing parts come to a satisfying conclusion, and there are plenty of clues along the way that allow you to piece the story together.I also enjoyed how it is two movies in one, in a way. One is a scary, bewildering psychological thriller, and it is contained within an interconnected arc that is part crime drama and part character exploration, made rich by the well-written and well-acted characters.Standing out, obviously, is the main character, Sonia. She is a very attractive lead, both physically and as a performer, and carries the movie effectively.The direction of this film is intelligent and fast-paced. Quick cuts are used to jarring effect, and a slightly shaky, hand-held feeling creates a great deal of tension. Overall, I would recommend this film for fans of European movies, mysteries, thrillers and psychological dramas. It is very solid, put together well, and will leave you sated.