Enigma do Poder

After reading a number of reviews at imdb--and elsewhere--I have to come-down-on-the-side of the director, Abel Ferrera's

vision. This is a GREAT science-fiction film, and for those who are

generally-disappointed with it, I have to ask whether they

understand what sci-fi IS. If science-fiction isn't about the present

(as-filtered through an imagined-future), it generally isn't good, but

New Rose Hotel fits this criteria. This is a pretty-old story from the

80s that Gibson had published in "Omni Magazine," it might-have

been his first-acceptance. While it is a minor-story, it has

dramatic-elements to it that are very-pleasing within-the-structure

of the "Ferrera" universe: a metropolitan-dystopia, urban and

moral-decay, the eternal quest by many for "power," official- corruption, the consequences of murder, sexuality, drugs, how

memory works, they all mesh-well with Ferrera's thematic-styles.

There are no great moral-lessons here, this is about the aftermath

of that paradigm. The only-complaint I have is that the future has

caught-up a bit, due to the age of the original-story. With our

human-society growing more-restrictive, with the rise of corporate- statism, and the subsequent-decline of the Nation State, New

Rose Hotel seems almost "quaint." That should give-us-pause.

New Rose Hotel is based on the short story of the same name by William Gibson. While the film is supposed to be set in the tech infested world of Gibson's stories it fails to convey this feeling, with only a few pieces of technology presented visually. More importantly, however, the film is terribly written and directed. It seems obvious that Gibson's story should have been followed in a more literal manner, as the story finds the narrator (Dafoe's character) reminiscing in his coffin in the New Rose Hotel, talking to Sandii as though she can hear him. Instead, we are subjected to the story twice, the second time around in the form of flashbacks. I imagine the flashbacks are supposed to clarify the disorganized mess that Ferrara weaves in the first half of the film. Perhaps the film appeals to the art crowd, but don't let them fool you. It's a terrible movie, putting to waste the incredible talents of Walken and Dafoe. Gibson's writing is densely descriptive and gritty. Ferrara attempts for the grit, but Gibson's worlds can't be created without a budget [and a competent director would help]. For example: Kill Switch, an episode of The X-Files that Gibson wrote, was the most expensive episode ever filmed during the time the show was filmed in Vancouver. And it's one of the best episodes in the show's history. Why? Because it constructed the visual aspect necessary to tell the story. The fact that New Rose Hotel fails to do this, coupled with Ferrara's horrendous storytelling, is what makes it an unworthy effort. If you're a fan of Gibson, then watch the film, but I doubt you'll enjoy it.

It's hard to believe that a movie directed by Abel Ferrara based on a story by William Gibson and starring Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe and Asia Argento would be anything less than great, but this movie is just OK. It has a lot of moody atmosphere. Asia A., the lovely Eurobabe who is supposedly ogre-ish horror-meister Dario Argento's daughter (I, for one, won't believe it until I see the blood tests), spends most of the movie in various states of undress (unfortunately, so does Dafoe). Walken is great as always. But literally nothing happens. It's all atmosphere, eerie music, and occasional bursts of softcore groping. Neither Ferrara's visuals, Walken's acting presence, or Argento's tatooed nether regions can ultimately carry a film so totally devoid of conventional plot, suspense, or action. Not a bad film, just a disappointing one.

Has any living director created a body of work as unpredictable and frustrating as Abel Ferrara?! 'New Rose Hotel' is another wildly uneven movie from the man who gave us the brilliant 'Bad Lieutenant', one of the greatest movies of the last 15 years, a modern masterpiece greatly admired by Martin Scorsese. The original short story of 'New Rose Hotel' by William Gibson was heavy on atmosphere and mood, and not that heavy on plot. The movie is even more so. A very good story but good material for a film? I don't think so. To make matters worse it's obvious the money ran out before production ended, hence the repetitive flashbacks/recycled footage of the last twenty minutes or so of the movie, something which all but ruins what preceded it. However, I can't dismiss the movie completely because you get to see two of the finest living actors working together. Willem Dafoe, and in his fourth collaboration with Ferrara, Christopher Walken are first rate even if the finished film isn't. Plus there's a great supporting cast, testament to the respect Ferrara has among the acting community - Asia Argento ('Scarlet Diva'), Annabella Sciorra, Victor Argo and Gretchen Moll, who all appeared alongside Walken in Ferrara's 'The Funeral' (a very underrated movie!), and musician/actors John Lurie (The Lounge Lizards/'Down By Law') and Sakamoto (Yellow Magic Orchestra/'Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence'). If you are a newcomer to Ferrara's work I suggest beginning with something a bit more accessible like 'King Of New York', not with this one. I was greatly disappointed by this movie, and if I wasn't such a big fan of Ferrara, Walken, Dafoe and Argo I would say don't bother.

This is a decent Abel Ferrara movie,with Walken turning in another memorable performance.I figure any movie with Walken's name listed in the credits first is worth watching.It did feel like the most important scenes were not filmed, and the rehashing of earlier scenes in the third act is really tedious. Overall, I think this movie would have been great with a bigger budget, but as it stands, I'd only recommend this to Walken fans.