HOTEL DE LOVE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.5 Alternative Scale: ** out of ****
Australia, 1996 U.S. Release Date: 2/97 (limited) Running Length: 1:36 MPAA Classification: R (Sexual situations, nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Aden Young, Saffron Burrows, Simon Bossell, Pippa Grandison,
Ray Barrett
Director: Craig Rosenberg
Producers: Michael Lake and David Parker
Screenplay: Craig Rosenberg
Cinematography: Stephen Windon
Music: Brett Rosenberg
U.S. Distributor: Live Entertainment
Over the past few years, American moviegoers have developed something of a taste for certain Australian movies. PROOF, STRICTLY BALLROOM, THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, MURIEL'S WEDDING, and SHINE have all found fans in North America, making distributors interested in acquiring more products from down under. The latest Australian import to enter the U.S. market is a misfired romantic comedy called HOTEL DE LOVE. And, while it's not bad enough for me to suggest that it should have been left where it came from, this certainly isn't a shining example of Australian cinema.
One good clue that a movie is in trouble is when a subplot is more engaging than the main story. Unfortunately, that happens in HOTEL DE LOVE. The film is about three romantic couplings, all of which undergo their ups and downs before the "happily ever after" ending. The paring afforded the most screen time is easily the least interesting -- sour, dour, womanizing Rick Dunne (Aden Young) and his soul-mate, Melissa Morrison (Saffron Burrows, of CIRCLE OF FRIENDS). The two became lovers when they were 17. Now, ten years later, they have met again and discovered that the chemistry is still there. Or, at least Rick thinks it's still there. Melissa isn't as sure.
Meanwhile, Rick's meek brother (who also happens to be our narrator), Stephen (Simon Bossell), has deluded himself into believing that he too is in love with Melissa. But, while he's busy pursuing her, one of Rick's former flames, Alison (Pippa Grandison, of MURIEL'S WEDDING) is trying to attract his attention. And, as if that wasn't enough, Rick and Stephen's parents, while preparing to renew their wedding vows, determine that their marriage may be over. All of these things occur at the Hotel de Love, a cheesy honeymoon spot with theme suites for lovers (i.e., spend the night in a room that looks like it's in the middle of a jungle).
The romance between Rick and Melissa is d.o.a. It's not interesting to begin with, and it only gets worse as the film progresses. The two leads, Aden Young and Saffron Burrows, do credible jobs, but their characters never connect on any level. The parents subplot, in addition to being horribly written, is even less compelling. On the other hand, I was intrigued enough by Stephen and Alison that I was willing to sit through the entire film to see how things turned out for them. On some level, it was probably worth the sacrifice, but I'm not sure I'd recommend that anyone else do the same.
The comedy in HOTEL DE LOVE is consistently embarrassing. The so- called "humor" isn't funny, and it puts the actors in awkward situations. It's almost painful to watch Simon Bossell trip and twitch his way through the scenes where Stephen confesses his love to Melissa. This is the kind of material that often appears on TV sit-coms, when the only way we know we're supposed to find it funny is because of the laugh track. Then there's the annoying pop music soundtrack (a staple of Australian comedies), which tries to come up with a familiar tune for every occasion.
HOTEL DE LOVE is not without its share of interesting ideas -- it just never develops any of them. The two brothers have the kind of love/hate relationship that deserves more than the handful of cursory lines devoted to it. Likewise, Stephen's hobby -- sitting around at airports counting how many travelers are met by lovers and how many are alone -- could lead to something considerably more substantial that it does. In short, most of the potentially fascinating elements of the film are snubbed because writer/director Craig Rosenberg is determined to tell Rick and Melissa's cliched story. And that's unfortunate, because he may be the only one who's interested in watching it.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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