Hours (2013) - Review by Mike

Directed by: Eric Heisserer

Starring: Paul Walker, Genesis Rodriguez, Nancy Nave

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 1 Hour 37 Minutes

Synopsis:

It's 2005, in Louisiana and because of hurricane Katrina, there is a state of emergency. Power lost, flooding, high winds, hospitals evacuating... The loss of Nolan's (Paul Walker) wife during the birth of their daughter left him feeling hopeless, not knowing what to do with a baby on life support. Regardless, Nolan will do whatever necessary to keep his newborn daughter alive.

My Review

Supposedly this movie was based on a true story, and I don't doubt it one bit. To be honest, this movie flew by my radar last month, with it's limited theatrical release. When I saw it at Redbox, the only thing that struck out as a movie to check out was the fact that it stars the late Paul Walker. Without him, I probably wouldn't have given it a second look.

Walker played Nolan Hayes, a man who lived a normal life with a gorgeous wife. When his wife, Abigail (Genesis Rodriguez) dies from complications during the birth of their daughter and finds out his daughter needs to be on life support for an undeclared amount of time, he finds himself hopeless. I mean, he has no clue about raising a child, not to mention a sick baby.  And when hurricane Katrina strikes down, knocks the power out and the hospital is forced to evacuate there's no way to transport a baby stuck in an incubator, so Nolan is forced to stay to wait for her to wake up. How soon will that be, well that was undetermined, but could be as soon as two days. With limited power, a backup battery that only stays charged for 3 minutes at a time, the next 48 hours are going to be rough. If that wasn't enough, FEMA and other rescue organizations refused to help residents left behind because they become self-centered, if they don't get rescued first.

Although I really did like this movie,  I found it to be a little unbelievable. For instance, the hospital should have had a emergency plan for natural disasters. Hurricanes aren't something new for the southern gulf states, it seemed like no one was prepared. Other possible flaws in this movie, was how Nolan managed to run from the second floor of the hospital to the roof in less than 3 minutes all while being weak from malnutrition. Another instance would be towards the end, when just magically at the 48 hour mark when emergency crews come in to rescue them, the baby starts crying! I love a happy ending just like the next person, but just because the doctor predicted the baby waking up in 48 hours doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen.

Regardless of the rushed ending and the time flaws, this was a fantastic story and one that is more than worth the buck fifty rental, if only for Paul Walker's role alone.

Rating: 6/10; worth a $1.50 rental

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