Hotel desire

Amazing movie, sensual and dramatic. Amazing movie, sensual and dramatic.

First I should say that this review is being given by one who does not speak German, however I did not need to do so as you will presently understand.

This movie was eventually marketed as a pornographic film which is a great pity.

The acting, casting and cinematography are as good as I have ever seen. The directing is also first rate considering the limitations imposed by the money available, a paltry 60,000 Euros.

In my opinion, this is a film that was meant to explore many facets of the central character and her life; excellently played by Volm.

In the course of her day there are many possible avenues created for further plot development, but they all remain latent and unexplored for lack of money.

Begging further work: the relationships with her fellow employees; her immediate boss who possibly feels paternal toward her, and another maid who makes a pass at her in their changing room. Then there is either a fashion shoot or perhaps a porno shoot in one of the rooms she is to clean and replenish. She's both titillated and amused by the happening, and they show more than a mild interest in her as well.Finally,the encounter with The Man, played by Schick. I don't want to say how it begins because it would spoil a delightful, if fanciful, seduction- and how this develops int the hottest sexual encounter I have ever seen in what ought to have been a full length movie. The movie is roughly 39 minutes long and the sexual encounter comprises roughly six minutes at the end. With only 60,000 Euros, they had to end it SOME way.

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.

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.

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.