Hotel Sorrento

A beautiful and heartfelt film about the end of an era for a family residing by a distant seaside suburb on the edge of Melbourne. The family, with its connection to Britain and the USA also symbolize how Australia moved from being under England's shadow to the growing domination of the US. There is much talk of Australia's cultural poverty - one character insists this is not the case- and, under the surface, a tale of sisterly betrayal that underlies the idea that by the 90s it was capitalist greed as manifested in the American sister that was undoing many Australians. All this said, the film can be enjoyed for it's autumnal colors, elegiac mood and some wonderful scenes wherein the characters grew into people I felt I knew, with top class acting from all. Just towards the end the script makes the characters mouthpieces for certain views about Australia that are creditable yet do sound like prepared speeches. That aside a thoroughly enjoyable and moving film. The final credits scene, with old footage of the house shown to us while the audio tells us it is about to be sold, is heartbreaking and can be related to by just about anyone who filled a home full of memories then years later returned to find it demolished, replaced by new housing or business developments.

I picked "Hotel Sorrento" from a video shop because I saw the name "Tara Morice". I like her performance as Fran in Strictly Ballroom. Later, I bought this wonderful film. And I wonder if there is the real Sorrento in Australia. I want to go there because the film shows me how beautiful the place is.

Hotel Sorrento is the story of three sisters who grew up together in a small town. However, they went on their ways and have their own success. One is a writer in London, the other lives in New York as a business woman, while the third stays at their family home. One day, the family reunion is held. That causes the change of their lives which will never be the same again.

This film reminded me of 'The Shell-Seekers' and 'Secrets and Lies' and ranks with them both in quality of performances and depth of themes. Those seeking a great plot or action movie will be disappointed, but those interested in a variety of characters in a sweet setting with more than enough to say for themselves - albeit in the Laconic fashion of the Australian idiom - should not be disappointed.

There is intelligent, if indirect, humour in the writing - poking fun at the bored colonial escapee daughters who end up finding themselves to be the cause of everyone's ennui back home. The grandfather's mundane home truths about why they left ('running away from something') are borne out by the eventually revealed family secret. Similarly, the authoress character's assessment of the dominance of the Capitalist ethos over Australian culture is borne out in the cringe-making scene at the closing credits - a slap in the face for the idealistic Press owner friend to Joan Plowright's character who has championed the idea of the great 'coming of age' of Australian culture.

The locations are truly charming with many shots worth framing and the very down-to-earth lifestyle of the inhabitants of the 'Hotel Sorrento' provides a sobering note for anyone taking too great a flight of fancy over it all.

I found it a real task to sit through this film. The sound track was not the best and some of the accents made it difficult to understand what was being said. There was little to move the plot along and often the action simply stopped and there was a prolonged period of conversations which seemed extraneous to the movie. These conversations switched between family groups and the observer was left to try and piece together what the common thread was that tied them together. It is rare that I rate a film this low and do so in this case as the entire viewing experience left me thinking "so what" and "why did I waste my time watching this."

Unlike jjp, I think of this as one of those rare movies that is spectacular without trying to be spectacular. So many Hollywood movies try to slam emotions down our throats, leaving one cold--not this. The entire cast is solid, if not brilliant, especially Joan Plowright.

The storyline may not be the most original around, but it is well thought-out, directed and executed. On the surface it's another "family coming together" flick where one laughs a bit and cries a bit. But it's better done than that. The characters (and dialogue) are real, not filled with contrived eccentricities. They're also enjoyable and enchanting. The setting, a quiet (almost dull) seaside town, works wonderfully (& it's not NYC, LA or Chicago for once.) Without car chases and gun shots, it comes together beautifully.

The 90s seem to have been a real coming of age for the Australian film industry. This film, along with "The Sum of Us", "Muriel's Wedding" and a host of others seem to prove that all Hollywood writers, directors and producers need a working-holiday in Australia.