IT would be a great shame if the dependable Moore didn't win something for her efforts in her two current releases.

Curiously, both films see her playing troubled housewives in deceptively idyllic 1950s settings.

After her eye-catching turn as the suicidal wife and mother in The Hours, she is a similarly unhappy character in Far From Heaven.

Moore's Cathy Whitaker would seem to have everything a woman needs a beautiful home, a loving husband and a settled family life.

All that changes when it emerges hubby Frank (Quaid) is homosexual and finds his emotional and sexual needs are not satisfied by Cathy and his domestic life.

As she tries to understand what is going on, Cathy strikes up a friendship with her black gardener, Raymond (Haysbert). But what begins as pleasant lawn-side conversations, becomes something deeper.

Taboo issues of the day sexuality and race are dealt with intelligently and shockingly, and while Far From Heaven moves at a snail's pace, it is never less than compelling.

Haynes, who also wrote the script, has made a highly stylised film (in many ways an homage to popular 1950s film-maker Douglas Sirk, who was noted for a distinct visual style) with glorious colours, set design and costumes, all evoking a strong sense of period and giving his movie a remarkable sheen.

Shining out like a beacon at the centre of all this is Moore, who gives a fabulous performance, conveying confusion, dignity, hurt and compassion, sometimes all at once. It is a tour de force, but achieved without any hysterics or histrionics, and one that is a delight to watch.