The Keeping Hours

Directed by Karen Moncrieff, The Keeping Hours follows Lee Pace’s Mark and Carrie Coon’s Elizabeth as they make the shocking discovery that they’re able to talk to (and interact with) the ghost of the long-dead son (Sander Thomas’ Jacob). Filmmaker Moncrieff, working from Rebecca Sonnenshine’s screenplay, delivers a mostly watchable yet often egregiously deliberate drama that benefits from the superb work of its stars, and it’s clear, too, that the picture effectively upends the viewer’s expectations on a fairly consistent basis (ie despite the spooky setup, Moncrieff eschews horror elements entirely in favor of a far more contemplative, subdued vibe). There’s little doubt, however, that The Keeping Hours never entirely becomes as engrossing or emotionally-resonant as Moncrieff has obviously intended, with the movie’s arms-length atmosphere compounded by the director’s slow-moving approach to Sonnenshine’s less-than-eventful script – which ultimately does dull the impact of the sentimental final stretch. The end result is a well-intentioned effort that’s never quite as impactful as one might’ve anticipated, although the film does, at the very least, boast sporadically striking visuals and top-notch performances from both Pace and Coon.

**1/2 out of ****