Hotel de Love

Wow... This is not normally the type of movie that I watch. There are just a handful of romantic comedies that I really like. This one truly is one of the very best.

It is extremely well written and acted. Every character is portrayed perfectly. I love the humour in this which I feel is very funny and truly situational in the purest sense.

I saw this probably over 25 years ago, I had it on VHS. I believe I still have it. I was looking all these years to find it on DVD or somehow get a good print of it. FINALLY, after all this time, I found a nice HD print of it online.

In my lowly and wretched opinion, there are VERY few films on this type that are this good. To give you some idea at least as to what I find well done and entertaining I'll mention the few that come to mind. First and Foremost, primarily because I LOVE Sandra Bullock, the film she did with Hugh Grant called 'TWO WEEKS NOTICE' is probably my all time favourite. So, incredibly funny, both of them in absolute top form. A very close 2nd, and more of a Teen Comedy, but with romance, and perhaps an even better pure Comedy, would be 'BETTER OFF DEAD' with John Cusack.

Other films that I also really like which would fall under that one are 'AMERICAN SWEETHEARTS', 'FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, and the other Hugh Grant films of this type. Honourable mention would go to 'SERENDIPITY'...

So, that will give you some idea that even though this is not the type of film I would normally choose to watch first (that would be mostly Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller, Film Noir, etc...) But, this one is most definitely one of my all time favourites!

And, what makes this one so good, in addition to it being brilliantly done, is that it has a very satisfying romantic side too.

So, yes, I gave this one a very rare '9' and I feel it very much deserves it.

First of all, it was made by Australians, so they all have neat accents! The setting is eccentric yet fun. This film was particularly enjoyable because of the interplay between the two brothers, Rick and Stephen. Although they begin as total opposites, the beauty of the drama truly arises and they become more like each other.

I have watched many films from Down Under and tremendously enjoyed most of them. Australian films have

a distinct "flavour"; probably part of it comes from the

accent!!! However, the title of this one did not even attract

me at first but I thought I'd give it a try after reading a short

review of the film in some magazine. And I'm glad I did. In

spite of all the "kitsch", it was certainly a good watch........it

actually left a pleasant aftertaste! In fact, it would not have

been as good without the "kitsch". Well played out by the

actors/actresses.....a memorable one being the piano player/hotel owner with his songs.

I wanted to like this but the subplot of the other twin carrying on like love starved Puck or Bottom or whoever the hell he was supposed to be.... it is all just suburban theater put on film, in 1997. One minute this film actually almost becomes FOUR WEDDINGS etc and then it lapses into "wacky pratfall farce' on Pufnstuf Willy-Wonka sets and in some scenes THE RITZ but, oh, it keeps becoming some sort of dinner theater farce in some over produced sets with "ACTORS!!!" who are "ACTING...!!!" What might have seemed funny 20 years ago in this multiplex wannabee is not funny now when better slicker films are the norm. HOTEL DE LOVE is a cute idea with some money behind it, and very good looking young actors, but it lurches into amateur constantly, one dreadful downside of the writer also being the director and the enterprise needing a strong no nonsense helm. A re make in 2020 might be a better vision. Literally.

Most romantic comedies these days seem content to get by on charm, but this is genuinely funny and romantic, despite the somewhat gaudy setting of a honeymoon hotel. Although there are quite a few flourishes (like the piano player playing kitsch 70's hits and being the one everyone talks to), it's grounded in real passions and feelings, which also helps the comedy. I especially like the scene between Melissa and Rick where they tell the truth to each other. I didn't know any of the actors in this movie except Saffron Burrows (who I hope goes on to bigger things), but they were all excellent as well.