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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unusually engrossing, 10 April 2001
By A Customer
At first, when I watched this film, I thought that it was possibly the most boring thing I'd ever seen. The characters didn't fit with the background and the background didn't fit with the plot. I was confused as to the point. I thought that Mel Gibson had been cast fairly ludicrously and that Milla Jovovich's talent had been wasted.However, as the film progressed, I found that it became unusually engrossing, something I rarely encounter in romance style films. After a while, the odd main character became more understandable, and the story of love between two social misfits, who are not quite as disreputable as they initialy appear, began to draw me in. I was engrossed. You should ignore what professional critics deplore as "Bad Acting". They often, in my estimation, confuse the boundery between the actors and the characters, though I don't think that applies much here, its just a friendly warning. Although Mel Gibsons role still doesn't quite slot in, its not really that much of an irritant, if at all. The sets are well concieved and the supporting cast... well, support the film. I can safely say that I've never cried over a film, but this was one of the very few that nearly had the ducts at the back of my eyes going at the end. You should really watch it you know.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Futuristic Drama Set In A Rundown LA Hotel, 13 Sep 2000
By A Customer
I saw this film at the cinema. It had been slated on its release. The thing is, I'm a fan of director Wim Wenders. So I was expecting the worst.But the worst did not materialise. Far from it. The story of FBI Agent Skinner's investigation into the death of "Izzy" (Tim Roth) takes many strange turns. The focus is not really on the investiagtion, but on the characters that inhabit the Million Dollar Hotel, a sort of safety net onto which fall all those who have slipped through the social security system. Wenders does make one mistake, and that is that the characters - all of whom are insane to greater or lesser degrees - are not varied enough. Everyone acts crazy so there is not enough variety in the performances. However, the relationship between Tom-Tom (Jeremy Davies) and Eloise (Milla Jovovich) is quite touching. Davies is convincing as the patsy half-wit Tom-Tom, and Jovovich has enough quirky energy for the part of airy bookworm Eloise. The soundtrack is absolutely awesome, with the songs being provided by Bono and the Million Dollar Hotel Band. "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" is a highlight. The cinematography is also stunning, and once again, Wenders shows himself as the master of his location - he manages to make downtown LA seem somehow beautiful. Also memorable are the Beatles references which are scattered throughout the film, and look at for a cameo by Bono in the party sequence towards the end. In fact, this film was Bono's idea : he had seen The Million Dollar Hotel when shooting a video with U2 in downtown LA, and that provided the spark for this film. This may not be a film that will change your life, but it is nowhere near as bad as people made out. It may lack the lyricism that Bono may have been aiming at, but it is still a good stylish film. I was pleasantly surprised by this and would recommend it.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Million Dollar Pleasure, 29 April 2003
This film gripped me from its first opening scenes. It's beautifully shot, matched with a great soundtack and with superb acting throughout, especially from Jeremy Davies. The Million Dollar Hotel is somewhere I never want to be but it is a place that fascinates and disturbs as do the inhabitants and the story that revolves around them. It brilliantly handles the idea of perfect innocent love in an environment that resembles the more hellish and insane side of life. It's tragic, darkly amusing and thought-provoking, it's a film that broke my heart and to be honest its rare that a movie these days can have that much of an effect on me. This film is one that needs to be watched more than once in order to pick up on all its observations and intricate details. I think it's fair to say that it will not appeal to everyone but if you get a chance to see it, do. It is a film that with so many merits and I am amazed that until recently I had heard so little about it. I think its wonderful.
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