New Rose Hotel

Although New Rose Hotel isn't perfect, it's my favourite adaption of Gibson's work to the screen, even more so than the episodes of The X-Files that he co-wrote. I actually really like the structure of this film. It's just like remembering an intense event in real life. The key parts keep coming back over and over, but are a little different each time because it's in your mind. My only real complaint is that (like all of Ferrara's work that I've seen) the ending seems too quick and unsatisfying. As for Gibson's feelings on the film, I took part in an interview with the man himself right before the premier at the 1998 Vancouver Film Festival. Here's how he described it: "[The cinematography] is very beautiful." "It's amazingly close to the original short story. I can't think of too many films that are as true to the material, and consequently it's a very dark and somewhat claustrophobic experience."

It's hard to believe that a movie directed by Abel Ferrara based on a story by William Gibson and starring Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe and Asia Argento would be anything less than great, but this movie is just OK. It has a lot of moody atmosphere. Asia A., the lovely Eurobabe who is supposedly ogre-ish horror-meister Dario Argento's daughter (I, for one, won't believe it until I see the blood tests), spends most of the movie in various states of undress (unfortunately, so does Dafoe). Walken is great as always. But literally nothing happens. It's all atmosphere, eerie music, and occasional bursts of softcore groping. Neither Ferrara's visuals, Walken's acting presence, or Argento's tatooed nether regions can ultimately carry a film so totally devoid of conventional plot, suspense, or action. Not a bad film, just a disappointing one.

Has any living director created a body of work as unpredictable and frustrating as Abel Ferrara?! 'New Rose Hotel' is another wildly uneven movie from the man who gave us the brilliant 'Bad Lieutenant', one of the greatest movies of the last 15 years, a modern masterpiece greatly admired by Martin Scorsese. The original short story of 'New Rose Hotel' by William Gibson was heavy on atmosphere and mood, and not that heavy on plot. The movie is even more so. A very good story but good material for a film? I don't think so. To make matters worse it's obvious the money ran out before production ended, hence the repetitive flashbacks/recycled footage of the last twenty minutes or so of the movie, something which all but ruins what preceded it. However, I can't dismiss the movie completely because you get to see two of the finest living actors working together. Willem Dafoe, and in his fourth collaboration with Ferrara, Christopher Walken are first rate even if the finished film isn't. Plus there's a great supporting cast, testament to the respect Ferrara has among the acting community - Asia Argento ('Scarlet Diva'), Annabella Sciorra, Victor Argo and Gretchen Moll, who all appeared alongside Walken in Ferrara's 'The Funeral' (a very underrated movie!), and musician/actors John Lurie (The Lounge Lizards/'Down By Law') and Sakamoto (Yellow Magic Orchestra/'Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence'). If you are a newcomer to Ferrara's work I suggest beginning with something a bit more accessible like 'King Of New York', not with this one. I was greatly disappointed by this movie, and if I wasn't such a big fan of Ferrara, Walken, Dafoe and Argo I would say don't bother.

New Rose Hotel captures the bleakness and despair of the short story that seems common to William Gibson's writing. I enjoyed the performances of Christopher Walken and Willem Dafoe and the babe was sufficiently babeish to hold my interest though her acting was just OK. The movie peaked too soon and the flashbacks to the film's beginning were too long and repetitious. The short story didn't have enough depth to fill out the movie. William Gibson is heavy on description and atmosphere, a master at it. "Neuromancer", his best book, is enthralling even if you don't know what is happening. The screenplay for the movie should have been padded out more in the beginning maybe showing some history of X and some of the babe's motivations clearer. The story was somewhat obscure. If you didn't listen carefully you missed the plot. The movie was flawed but atmospheric and moody enough to be of interest. William Gibson's fans should see it to see how the book's mood was captured.

This is a decent Abel Ferrara movie,with Walken turning in another memorable performance.I figure any movie with Walken's name listed in the credits first is worth watching.It did feel like the most important scenes were not filmed, and the rehashing of earlier scenes in the third act is really tedious. Overall, I think this movie would have been great with a bigger budget, but as it stands, I'd only recommend this to Walken fans.