stemal-1 The first 60 minutes of The Double Hour were spellbinding. I knew next to nothing about the plot and so was gripped by the twists. It wrong-foots the viewer at every turn and compels you to continually revise your expectation of who's doing what to who, and why. You can't help but get involved with the character of Sonia, a magnetic performance from Kseniya RappoportThen, about an hour in, something happens that killed the film from then on for me. It slowly limped to its conclusion over the next half hour with little to match what had gone before.And that's my main gripe. If this had been a mediocre film throughout I would not have bothered posting a review. I see enough of them that it's not worth 10 minutes of my time to comment on OK films.The Double Hour sustained the promise of being great for a long time, and that wasted opportunity possibly unduly affected my overall view of the film. I suppose it sounds as though I'm saying I'd rather watch a completely average film than one that is two thirds great. Of course I wouldn't. But the plot device and the dull way in which The Double Hour plays out from then on makes it a frustrating experience.

blanche-2 Kseniya Rappoport stars in "The Double Hour" (La Doppia Ora), a 2009 film.Very reminiscent of David Lynch, the story concerns ex-cop Guido (Filippo Timi), who seems to be a chronic speed-dater. On this particular night, he meets someone he feels he can actually date, Sonia (Rappaport), who works as a hotel chambermaid. The relationship develops. However, as we slowly learn more and more about Sonia, she isn't all that she seems.The plot isn't all that it seems, either, and as the film goes on, we see both dream and reality emerge.Like Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, and Cache, The Double Hour is a fascinating film, where things are not always as they seem, and what goes on underneath is far more interesting. Directed by Giuseppe Capotondi, if you're a fan of Lynch or Michael Heneke, you will enjoy this film.

Jonathan Karp Yes, the film is suspenseful and competently acted. The lead is is attractive and sympathetic. But like so many thrillers the plot doesn't stand up to scrutiny. It has more holes than Blackburn Lancashire. More important, it is psychologically implausible. So the film manages to be both suspenseful and frustrating and the viewer keeps holding on in the desperate hope that it will redeem the investment of enduring being manipulated by it by offering some sort of satisfying resolution (not to be confused with a happy or phony "Hollywood" style ending). No such luck. You leave the theater feeling used. I go to see these Italian (and French) films in the hope that the former spirit of great filmmaking will be revived. Unfortunately, I haven't seen even a good, let alone great, Italian film since the best days of Roberto Benigni.

Sindre Kaspersen Music video director Giuseppe Capatondi' feature film debut which was written by Italian screenwriter Ludovica Rampoldi, Italian screenwriter and actor Stefan Sardo and Italian writer Alessandro Fabbri, premiered In competition at the 66th Venice Film Festival in 2009, was screened at the 34th Toronto International Film Festival in 2009 and is an Italian production. It was shot on location in Turin, Italy and was produced by Italian producer Francesca Cima and Italian producer Nicola Giuliano. It tells the story about Sonia, a Slovenian woman who makes a living as a maid in Torino. Sonia is looking for a male companion, and through a dating bureau she meets security guard Guido and chemistry sparks. Guido and Sonia has found one another, but as they are getting to know each other their evolving relationship is interrupted.Precisely and subtly directed by Italian Giuseppe Capatondi, this finely paced and somewhat romantic fictional tale is a character-driven and plot-driven drama mostly narrated from the protagonist's point-of-view. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions and the brilliant production design by production designer Totó Santoro, this invariably intriguing thriller which depicts two merging studies of character is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure and the engaging acting performances by Russian actress Kseniya Rappoport and Italian actor and screenwriter Filippo Timi. A riveting and suspenseful mystery which gained, among other awards, the Volpi Cup Award for Best Actress Kseniya Rappoport at the 66th Venice International Film Festival in 2009.