The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writers:

Bono (story)
Nicholas Klein (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 February 2000 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Everyone has something to hide.

Plot:

Tragi-comic, romantic whodunnit set in a run down hotel which plays host to mentally ill people too poor to afford medical insurance.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Murder | Painting | Suicide | Love

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Jeremy Davies	...	Tom Tom
Milla Jovovich	...	Eloise
Mel Gibson	...	Detective Skinner
Jimmy Smits	...	Geronimo
Peter Stormare	...	Dixie
Amanda Plummer	...	Vivien
Gloria Stuart	...	Jessica
Tom Bower	...	Hector
Donal Logue	...	Charley Best
Bud Cort	...	Shorty
Julian Sands	...	Terence Scopey
Conrad Roberts	...	Stix
Harris Yulin	...	Stanley Goldkiss
Charlayne Woodard	...	Jean Swift
Ellen Cleghorne	...	Marlene

Also Known As:

The Billion Dollar Hotel (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

Germany | UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:18PL (uncut) | Malaysia:U (cut) | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Icon Entertainment International

Trivia:

The film's story was conceived by and the film produced by Bono, the lead singer of U2. (U2 have contributed songs to all Wim Wenders' films since _Until the End of the World (1991)_). The band makes a brief cameo appearance in the hotel's lobby. The hotel is an actual hotel in L.A. and Bono was inspired to come up with the idea for the film after the group shot the video for the song "Where the Streets Have No Name" there in the mid-1980s. In the video the band gave a live performance on the roof from where Tom-Tom jumps.

Goofs:

Continuity: The positions of the pool balls change during the voting scene.

Quotes:

Dixie: Somebody's trying to kill me.
Detective Skinner: If they succeed, I'll come see you again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Land of Plenty (2004)

Soundtrack:

Ground beneath Her Feet

Fresh, brilliantly acted, under-promoted film

I bought this film "pre-viewed" on DVD because of Mel Gibson's face on the front cover and the promise of bonus features on the back. After watching it, I wondered if it was released on the heels of 9-11, as nothing else could quite explain why I had never even heard a one-liner about this fresh film with it's very believable, and wonderfully eccentric characters. The cast is first rate; Mel Gibson in his most complex role to date; Jimmy Smits, an absolute natural; Gloria Stewart (Titanic), Amanda Plummer, (The Fisher King; Freejack) Peter Stormare, (Chocolat; Armageddon) Julian Sands (Boxing Helena) and even Bud Cort (Harold and Maude; Pollock) support the two leads, Jeremy Davies, (Saving Pvt. Ryan) and Milla Jovovich. (The Messenger; Zoolander)

The DVD is a treat with U2's haunting song "The ground beneath her feet" the perfect accompaniment to the opening menu, as it sets the tone for the film beautifully. (Ok, I'm conveniently ignoring the opening song, "The First Time," as well as the actual opening shot, but after that ordinary opening, the movie gets deep and interesting quickly.)

When we first meet "Tom Tom," he is preparing to jump off the roof of the "Million Dollar Hotel." As he runs across the roof and launches himself through the air, our emotions are still not with him, for we only know three things about him, 1.) he looks peculiar, 2.) He is throwing himself off the roof of a hotel in some big city and 3.) he has not connected with us on a human level... As he sails spread-eagled through the air, we hear his voice proclaim: "Wow, after I jumped, it occurred to me... life is perfect." From that narrative voice and beyond, this film sucks you into the lives of the "Beggar's Butler," a retarded man and splendid mimic played to perfection by Davies, and the girl of his modest dreams, Eloise, played by Milla Jovovich. Tom Tom's best friend, Izzy Goldkiss (Tim Roth) died from a fall from the same roof and special agent Skinner (Gibson) is brought in by media mogul and Izzy dad, Stanley Goldkiss to find or frame a killer. The residents band together to stand up to Skinner and perhaps make a few dollars for themselves in the process. The film is well acted and unpredictable and by the time we watch Tom launch himself over the edge at the film's conclusion, we have come to care - to really care - about this human being and the motley crew of characters who people his world, and that brings a genuine welling of emotion and a spilling of tears. Not many films today can claim as much.