28 Hotel Rooms

28 Hotel Rooms is in some ways a formalistic movie -- the structure of the film and its cast are highly unusual and constrained. But rather than feel confining or artificial, this allows an intense focus on the actors and their performances.

These performances are so true, and so devoid of stagey or film-y artifice, that it makes other movies about romance feel false in comparison. There is no "saying the perfect thing at the perfect time" to the seduction between the leads, as there is in so many other movies. Instead, you see charisma that mirrors how charisma really operates among real people.

The same thing with their communication and difficult emotions: they are presented in a loose, real, palpable way, without being dressed up or made to have artificial consequences.

The only false note, for me, was the final scene; I didn't totally buy it.

Out of 10, I give this movie an 8 rating, 8.5 to be exact, for the intriguing plot and transparent acting.

I have watched most films where Chris Messina starred in but could not remember his presence in them. In this one, he shines and shows that he has more to offer. He deserves any accolades thrown at him if any fr this wonderful performance.

I could have honestly given this a 10 but because of all the nudity that aren't really that necessary, I take the 1.5 worth of fail for trying to mimic erotica. It is true though that the idea helps up the caliber and I honestly would not have watched it for the title alone and actors alone.

I also think that the movie was able to capture the vividness of infidelity that is almost not a sin. Here we see two people being drifted once in a while away from marital vows because of love. At some point, I feel that the "Venus and Mars" issues is addressed.

Why it is full of intrigues is because of my failure to understand why these two people did not just stay together. Oh, then there will be no movie! :D For all the wrong and right reasons, it's become one of my favorites.

This movie is excellent. The acting is impressive, especially Chris Messina. The two main characters are captivating, and the movie grabs you attention and never lets it go. Despite the fact that it takes place entirely in hotel rooms, the movie is interesting, thought provoking, and will take your emotions all over the place. It doesn't need fancy scenery or special effects, the acting and story line do all work. What I consider to be a hallmark of a great movie is that you still think and care about it afterwards. This movie is original and makes you think, and could quite possibly cause you to feel differently about the black and white world of infidelity, maybe there are shades of gray. I have re-watched this twice now, it feels real when so much out there is fake.

Normally I'm not a fan of infidelity in films. I think monogamy is ideal and my feelings haven't changed. But 28 Hotel Rooms brings up the question "Can you be in love with more than one person at the same time?" What if you're a happy relationship and unexpectedly meet a person who MIGHT be your soulmate? Do you stay in your stable relationship while you pine for someone else? Do you leave that relationship for the new person that you have known for a much more briefly? Maybe it's not black and white.

After reading the reviews, I had to watch it again to understand what someone said happened in the movie that I didn't see, but found myself continuing to watch past that point. The first time I watched this movie, I thought it to be a modern tragedy, almost Shakespearean by bringing together bad timing, circumstance and what could've been. As I watched it again I drew more to the emotion that the characters and storyline is trying to draw out of the audience.

If you lack emotional depth, experience, or having ever truly fallen in love, I think you watch this movie and brand it as a cheater movie justified. I think it goes beyond that.

The woman having bloomed much later in life was, for all intensive purposes, lacking in self-esteem and unsure of herself. Which was brilliantly communicated by the director and screen writer. She never knew what she wanted, or what she deserved. She only knew to fit into her roles outside of her hotel room encounters. She couldn't bring to bear the question of what was OK for her to have in her life until it was tragically too late.

The man was vulnerable, to a point. And like all men, didn't know whether to admit frailty in the obvious presence of a blossoming love with the massive risk of being unrequited and therefore exposing himself to the dangers of not having that thick male skin.

Director - I think that the tempo was good, even watching it the second time, it wasn't predictable and didn't force me to want to fast forward. It captured the awkwardness of getting acquainted, brought us to a place where they dropped their guard and even a period of adolescent energy where the characters connected.

Chris and Marin connected in this movie in a way that really made the movie. Periods of just conversation communicated something genuine while keeping true to character. It was almost akin to watching someone's reality.

There were so many times in this movie that you just wanted to tell them what to do, and as each tragic bit of circumstance came to fruition you were emotionally disappointed. That's the point of any movie, to get the audience to relate some how and ask questions and get emotional. And this movie accomplished that for me.