Customer Reviews

The Million Dollar Hotel [VHS]

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

There's been a lot of debating over whether or not this film deserves its Berlin Silver Bear award. In my mind it deserves more than that, for this is truly a remarkable film.

The Million Dollar Hotel is a home for outcasts and mentally unstable people. Once it was probably a high-class place, but time has taken its toll and it is now merely a parody of itself. Inhabitants include a mad Indian Chief wannabe (played by Jimmy Smits), a guy who thinks he's a member of the Beatles (hilariously played by Peter Stormare) the retarded "hero" of the story Tom Tom (Jeremy Davies) and the shadowy, silent Elouise (Milla Jovovich) who he has a serious crush on. One day Tom Tom's nearest friend fall off the roof of the hotel, and foul play is suspected. It is then up to an FBI Special Agent (Mel Gibson) to find the murderer. This is no easy task indeed!

What sets this movie apart from the mainstream is that it oozes atmosphere and that is dares to be *different*. Director Wim Wenders has taken the story by none other than Bono from U2 and worked his magic on it. The result is a visually stunning film with some of the most intense moments I've ever seen. Add the amazing soundtrack, also by Bono, and the excellent performances by all actors and the result should be obvious: an instant classic.

Bear in mind, though, that this is my opinion of the movie. It is shared by a couple of my friends, but other reviewers have strongly criticised the film. I fail to see why, but it just seems to be one of those movies that people either love or hate. In any case I strongly recommend seeing it, if only to experience its intense, sad beauty. This is indeed no cheerful film, but it does have its fair share of funny quirky moments.

The Million Dollar Hotel is one of those rare movies that touch something deep inside me, and leaves me speechless. What can I possibly say other than: see it!

million dollar hotel is one of those films that seem to grab you by the senses and make you fall in love with people who live in a sort of loonie bin.

million dollar hotel is a film about an old dilapidated hotel whose residents are mentally unstable. they find themselves in a bind when they find out one of them has been murdered but no one knows who did it.

tom tom(jeremy davies) is a character you instantly feel for from his the first scene when he jumps off the building in spectacular fashion and says, "after i jumped, i realized...life is the best." in some respects, you almost envy him for realizing this, but pity him at the same time for finding this out too late.

milla jovovich has an equally curious role. she plays a strung out woman who finds herself reading romance novels all day at a used bookstore and prostitutes herself at night. jovovich plays almost the same role as davies, but at the same time, much different. it's no wonder he finds himself chasing her through the whole movie and nearly getting what he wanted...her.

mel gibson plays a secondary role in this film, as he should, as a detective who happens to be a "freak" just like the people he is investigating. million dollar hotel is definitely not for someone looking for another stereotypical mel gibson flick as it is a far cry from lethal weapon and what women want...lucky for all of us.

the movie as a whole is one of the best i have ever seen. it is a shame it was not given much publicity in the states as it was in europe. it was co-produced by U2 frontman Bono who also, along with the rest of the band, creates a dark, but excellent, soundtrack that complements the movie like no other.

definitely pick this one up...movies like this only come once in a lifetime.

This is a wonderful movie, made with love. The score is haunting and and sweet, yet not obtrusive. The colors and the photography are stunningly beautiful. This is not a thriller; rather, it is a love story played against a background of cynicism, delusion, betrayal, fraud and brutality. This film demands the viewer's undivided attention, as much is going on in the background of almost every scene. This film is also an ode to a hotel in Los Angeles, one of two built in the 1920s by two brothers. One would not think such a tribute could be paid to an old hotel, but "The Million Dollar Hotel" is just that, as the varying and lovely shots of the hotel bear witness throughout the film. Mel Gibson delivers his best performance to date as the brutal, threatening FBI agent Skinner, who has a change-of-heart. Jeremy Davies is incredibly winning as Tom-Tom, the border-retarded unofficial "butler," full of wisdom, humor and insight, for the hotel's residents. Milla Jovovich is Eloise, a sadder-but-wiser young woman, worshipped by Tom-Tom. Their love blossoms as events slowly roll beyond their control. Most of the characters in this movie seem devoid of principles, and this film contains several instances of betrayal. But, against the betrayals and the unrolling of events, Tom-Tom is unwavering in his love for and protection of Eloise. This film is worthy of several viewings and provokes discussion with each viewing experience, proof that there is something here worthy of one's time. The question is, what did Tom-Tom mean by his final statement at the end of the picture?

Wenders should have lived in the dark and larmoyant 19th century. His last movie demonstrates he does not belong to the century of aggressive competition and individualism which is ours. He tells THE Love Story of the millenium, dressed in funky glam and surounded by the wispering last productions of U2. His sensibilty allows us a glimse at what should have been, if we were not those who we are, if we had not forgotten that love passes merely through the 'stomach', and not through the catodic tubes. Certainly the most troubling movie of the year 2000. Giulia Dobre

I really think this movie is great, but I don't think most people would. The love story between Jeremy Davies and Milla Jovovich is just so sweet and quiet. To be honest, I think that was the best thing about the movie, the realtionship of these two characters that was so moving. This movie just portrays the fragility and emotional complexity of people so beautifully.

If you're looking for great special effects, beautiful women, chase scenes or sporting events this is not the movie for you. If you appreciate art, great acting and a different kind of story make sure you catch this movie. Very little is obvious, you must do much of the work yourself from clues given. Not for everyone, and not to watch if you want to be entertained without thinking.

It is tempting to pick up this film, as I did, because it stars Mel Gibson. If that is your motivation, think very carefully. Mel gives one of his less memorable performances and is more of an ensemble cast member than a lead actor in this film. Director Wim Wenders is considered by many to be one of Europe's best directors. This film offers numerous examples of that, but while it is an interesting character study of some very disturbed people, the story is so flimsy that the excellent acting and directing still can't prop it up.

The story brings us a slice of the lives of some very mentally challenged people who live in a run down hotel. It is narrated by one of the characters as he plunges toward the ground after having leapt from the roof. FBI Detective Skinner (Mel Gibson) is investigating the death of Izzy Goldkiss, an artist (Tim Roth) who lived in the hotel. Izzy also plummetted to his death from the roof of the hotel. Everyone but Skinner thinks it was a suicide.

Along the way we are subjected to the bizarre behavior of the residents of a loony bin without bars. It is like watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" without the storyline. We are treated to flamboyantly odd people, but we lack a reason for watching them and the novelty wears off quickly. The dominant theme is the love story between Eloise (Milla Jovovich) and Tom Tom (Jeremy Davies), who is our plunging narrator. This relationship is heartrending, but it is not enough to save the film. Though all the characters are colorfully portrayed, the uneven presentation does little more than make a case for the institutionalization of the mentally impaired.

The acting by the ensemble cast is terrific. Milla Jovovich took this part fresh from her role as Joan of Arc in "The Messenger". Her portrayal of Joan was controversial because she played her as a borderline lunatic (and did so brilliantly). That experience served her well in this film, and it establishes Jovovich as one of the better depicters of the mentally bereft. Unfortunately, there are not enough such parts to warrant abandoning her modeling career. Jeremy Davies is the brightest spot in the cast with a wonderfully quirky performance. Jimmy Smits takes a delightful plunge into murky waters with an over the top portrayal of Geronimo, an Hispanic "Indian". Smits is terrific at the straight macho roles he usually plays, but this is quite a departure. He does a fabulous job and it is so incongruous to see him in the role that it is fun to watch.

I'm not sure why Mel Gibson took this role. He has played some offbeat characters, but this one is off the chart. It was more of a caricature than a character. After the film opened, in a gesture of actor's remorse he publicly badmouthed the film to anyone who would publish his remarks. That was not a class maneuver. He should have been a professional and refrained from comment.

This is an interesting character study that is about thirty minutes more madness than the average viewer should be required to bear. I rated it a 6/10 despite the weak story because of the strength of the acting. It's worth a look for Wenders fans, but Gibson fans steer clear.

"The Million Dollar Hotel" is truly a movie about the magic in every person's life. A group of freaks, junkies, mentally deficient people, [prostitutes], people without money, people without expectations, etc. In other words, the other side of the coin of the "American Dream". Yet, just like in a Fellini movie, we are made to watch, and somehow understand them, and like them and love them. They are much better adapted to their "underprivileged" world than we are to ours. They have the magic of life in them. This movie is a great Love Story in many different levels. It is also, a movie about friendship, passion, greed, jelousy, hate, revenge, etc. On a personal level, on a HUMAN level. Certainly it puts us ("The Privileged", with our diregard for others, our consummerism, our wars, our weapons, our fears, our hatreds)to shame.
Another great movie by Wim Wenders. May he continue showing us that deep down we are better than we can see us in a mirror. We need his magical mirror to de the trick!

The plot has nothing to do with reality, and that's fine; it's not about plot. The acting is all over the map, from a completely stiff Gibson to Davies' Forrest-Gump-meets-Tigger rendition of Tom-Tom, and that's exactly as it should be; it's about different characters playing off each other. Wenders focuses his sweet, gentle, character-revealing techniques on a cast of deranged, distasteful characters; we get to really like them, and really dislike them. It's a hodge-podge of magical realism, detective story, romance, and farce. It mixes stunning visuals with the filthy underbelly of L.A.

It's not typical Gibson, Bono, Jovovich, or Wenders, although it's arguably more Wenders than anything else.

It's a love story about Tom-Tom and Eloise. It's a love story about Wim Wenders, Bono, and Los Angeles. It's a love story about the pain and the joy that are life. It's a love story about light, music and atmosphere. It's a love story about film, and what film can do.

Many movies entertain. A few make you think. This one made me feel.

This is a great, original, unique film. It is novelistic in characterization and nuance, not pop trash like the majority of films... which may explain why it received very limited theatrical release in the U.S. The story, though, is simple enough: it is a love story. And a murder mystery. What isn't so simple is its self-reflexive nature, and this is where things get interesting. The actors play characters who are in turn playing roles. Milla Jovovich's Eloise announces early on "I'm not real. I'm fictional". Identity is a construct, it is armor against a very harsh world. It is a very imperfect armor, and then there is the need, the desire, to let the other person inside. Tom Tom (Jeremy Davies) and Eloise play this game, dance this dance. It is very touching.

Wim Wenders knows how to get the best from his actors. Davies and Jovovich are outstanding. Wender's method appears to be to let the camera run forever, giving the actors an extroadinary amount of breathing room. As in his "Paris, Texas" the result is very natural scenes that look completely unscripted. There are long silences, long pauses that communicate... the way people communicate in their daily lives.

The movie's soundtrack by U2 is, not surprisingly, terrific (the CD is well worth getting, as well as the movie).

The only disappointment of this film is Mel Gibson's performance. He seems never to get a handle on his character. Perhaps the role was simply beyond his acting ability (demonstrating once again that there is a difference between being an actor and being a movie star). Perhaps his nose was put out of joint by having to play second fiddle to someone of Jeremy Davies' meagre fame. In any case, Gibson's lackluster performance is the only drawback to this must-see film from one of the world's greatest directors.