Hotel Desire

Even though the film depicits sexuality and explicit lovemaking scenes, it's not a porn movie rather a beautiful way of portrayal of an ordinary human interaction with joy, life, beauty and love.

The two other reviews of this movie, as I write this, both seem to have missed the director's vision. One of them is almost a diatribe and the other an apology. Neither do this sensitive, hand crafted movie justice.

There maybe some technical problems with the editing, for example an unfortunate jerk in continuity early on when the protagonist moves from changing room to being upbraided by Management, but to me from the perspective of what the Director was trying to do and whether he did it, the movie was almost perfect. I don't understand the criticism of the music, the use of Debussy for example was, dare I say, lyrical? Each shot is thought out and framed beautifully. There is subtle complexity to the several story lines of ordinary human interaction each of them confirming in a precise way elemental humanity.

Only a shrink-wrapped hedonist would call this porn. Metaphysical in content it is really a celebration of life as beauty. The tenderness of the final denouement is sublime and it most certainly is not in the sex.

It's a well made short film, I must say, with so much consideration given to acting, cinematography, editing and sound design. All of this is let down by what I feel is a very mediocre screenplay that doesn't go anywhere.

Even the climax, though it is bold and unconventional, feels like it exists only to necessitate the climax of the film the way it did, than as an actual conclusion or resolution to the story beat.

I only wish this movie was written as good as it was filmed.

There is something extra about mainstream films like this. Classy, well made with proper actors who are prepared to give their all, literally. There are some excellent films made in the last decade that mix mainstream qualities with highly erotic visuals. The best on the hardcore side of the industry are the Lustcinema films and Erica Lust operating out of Barcelona I think. Well made and classy, usually. Then there are films that err on the side of mainstream and Hotel Desire is one of the best. What tips it over the edge is the delicious soundtrack finale provided by Stefan Maria Schneider. It's very difficult to get hold of as a pure soundtrack so I actually listen to it from the movie with my screen turned off. The last 5 minutes of this film are an aural delight. Strings swooshing and whoosing everywhere. So yeah, view it for the images if you wish, and don't get me wrong the main scene is beautiful, but do listen to the music as well, it's stunning.

As in hot day - a thing the short movie establishes right from the start ... it also gives us a preview of what it got infamy for: Nudity (and then some) - starting with a shower scene I reckon is quite genius, especially considering where it will lead us and climax into - pun very much intended.

Having said all that, I just watched this today and as other reviewers also state, it is a shame this was reduced to just the explicit sex we towards the end. I guess it was meant to get the attention for that - it is just a shame that all the drama and acting and quite frankly well told story of a single mom who is beloved mostly in the hotel she works in ... well does not get the attention it deserves.

Really good acting (and some quite recognizable faces in this too) and performances that dare. So you may know where this leads and may want to enjoy that, but I'd urge you to also watch this for the story before that ... the end almost feels like a dream ... nothing dirty about it for sure (no pun intended).