No Vacancy

I saw "No Vacancy" on tape by accident. I haven't laughed this hard since high school. It's one of the most imaginative, non-pretentiously smart, fast-paced, original comedies independent film industry has ever produced! I absolutely loved it! Can't wait to see it in theaters again!

No Vacancy is 83 minutes of bad writing, bad acting, and a fiasco of a film. This 1997 release, which I'm sure was a straight-to-DVD-budget-rack special, stars Christina Ricci (in her heaviest film appearance ever), Timothy Olyphant (of HBO's "Deadwood"), Lolita Davidovich (in a role so overacting you'll want to run from the room screaming at the sight of her herbal-masked face), and Robert Wagner. How the film attracted anyone to sign on to act in it escapes me. It's a true disaster.

Set in a motel of misfits, the movie's cross-cut edits and haphazard structure only serves to make it more annoying. I really regret every second of watching this mess.

Viewer beware! Watch a good Christina Ricci effort like "Opposite of Sex" and pass on this turkey. I squandered 83 minutes of my life. Save yours!!!

This is a mostly flat movie that, I'm sure, read much better as a screenplay. It is trying so hard to be quirkily absurd that it does itself injury, and the collection of silly characters are mostly just going through the motions. Mediocre performances in most roles lend a sense of Acting 101 homework to the whole proceedings, events unfold without any build-up and even normally decent actors have lowed their game here. One plot line is so stereotypically racist as to be offensive, even with a slightly redeeming plot twist that might have been funny.

Timothy Olyphant is the only standout here, organically building a character that actually interested me. He impressed me enough that now I will look for him in other projects. Christina Ricci, always watchable, is given little in the script to support her nutty character. Still, without these two, No Vacancy would be pretty unwatchable.

I liked this film - it seemed to be trying to copy the style of 'Short Cuts' although with a much lighter plot (and no where near as intricate, complicated - or good). Not a laugh out-loud, screaming, rip-roaring comedy etc... - but, a snapshot into the lives of some weird (but not totally unbelievable) people. I had no idea what the film was going to be like when I rented it. I saw a small summary, and did not know it was a comedy - this is most probably why I didn't expect to be laughing all the time - and didn't mind that I wasn't laughing all the time. If you are expecting a 'Benny Hill', slap-stick type of film, then steer well clear - you will be mightily disappointed - but, if you are looking for a light hearted look into "the morning after booking into a motel" then give it a go. A good film for an evening in with your dog. OK, I admit it - I had a bum Friday night without a date!

To the best of my knowledge this film never opened in the US and there's reason for that, it pretty weak. No Vacancy is a screwball comedy with the emphasis on screwball and very little comedy. The gags are tired and stupid with most of the characters cardboard, despite an attempt to develop them. Christina Ricci does her usual professional job but how she got dragged into this mess is a mystery. It's the kind of film where all the characters start chasing each other around (Christina is spared this) in a ridiculous attempt to build up some momentum. Sad.