Stolen Hours / Movie [VHS]
by Daniel Petrie

List Price: $19.98
Category: VHS Video
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VHS Movie Reviews of Stolen Hours / Movie [VHS]

Movie Review: NEVER RECEIVED THE ITEM NO ANSWER FROM SELLER
Summary: 1 Stars

Movie Review: Hayward! Hayward! Hayward!
Summary: 4 Stars

Movie Review: once wqas enough
Summary: 3 Stars

Movie Review: One of Hayward's best...
Summary: 4 Stars

Movie Review: An underappreciated Hayward drama
Summary: 4 Stars

This lack of attention to STOLEN HOURS is a true shame. For the film is a mature, thoughtful and touching romantic drama about a woman re-evaluating her life in the face of terminal illness.

The overall tone of STOLEN HOURS is quiet and restrained. (Some may thus feel that it suffers in comparison to the more emotionally charged DARK VICTORY.) The script is literate and serious, but with a sprinkling of gentle humor.

There are many virtues to the film. The color photography is outstanding, particularly the views of the beautiful coastal village toward the end of the film. Mort Lindsay's musical score is lovely and has some of the romantic sweep of classic Hollywood film scores. And the supporting performances are well done.

But this film truly belongs to Susan Hayward. Toward the end of her career, Hayward--like many more mature actors--tended to give performances that were broad and over-the-top (I would include her performance in I WANT TO LIVE). But here, she is remarkably controlled. She has many quiet moments that are among the finest acting scenes of her career. She seemed to truly understand the character she was playing, and responded with a performance that was Oscar-worthy (if anyone at the time had bothered to pay attention to the film).

A sad postscript: Like the character she portrays here, Hayward herself also died of a brain tumor. That fact makes viewing this film a bittersweet experience for her fans.

All in all, I recommend STOLEN HOURS as a touching romantic drama, and as a reminder of the fine acting talent of Susan Hayward.

Drama Video

• Genres > Art House & International > By Country > United Kingdom
• Drama > By Theme > Dying Young
• Melodrama
• Classics
• Music Video & Concerts > Artists > Judds