Hotel (2004)

Director:

Jessica Hausner

Writer:

Jessica Hausner (writer)

Release Date:

3 December 2004 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Franziska Weisz	...	Irene
Birgit Minichmayr	...	Petra
Marlene Streeruwitz	...	Mrs. Maschek
Rosa Waissnix	...	Mrs. Liebig
Christopher Schärf	...	Erik
Peter Strauß	...	Mr. Kross
Regina Fritsch	...	Mrs. Karin
Alfred Worel	...	Mr. Liebig
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Birkner	...	Travel Guide
Thomas Frank	...	Landlord #2
Hakon Hirzenberger	...	Mr. Popp
Wolfgang Kostal	...	Inspector #1
Alexander Lugonja	...	Koch
Antonia Mayer	...	Daughter Ehrgartner
Michael Miksits	...	Landlord #1
Josef Noger	...	Father Ehrgartner
Martina Pöltl	...	New Aspirant
Andreas Reischl	...	Inspector #2
Marita Ringhofer	...	Steffi
Die Sängerknaben vom Wienerwald	...	Church Choir
Tommi Saric	...	Waiter
Daniela Steiger	...	Mother Ehrgartner
Jean Tourou	...	Hotel Guest

Runtime:

France:83 min (Cannes Film Festival) | Argentina:83 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | Germany:76 min

Country:

Austria | Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Argentina:13

Company:

Essential Filmproduktion GmbH

Trivia:

Rosa Waissnix is not a professional actress, she actually runs the hotel where the film was shot. Director Jessica Hausner convinced her to take over a part in her film.

Soundtrack:

The One

Psychodrama without the psychology ... or drama.

HOTEL is about a young girl who is hired as a receptionist in an isolated, apparently inaccessible hotel in the Austrian Alps. Her co- workers are not responsive to her arrival, and to make matters worse, the girl she replaced was said to have disappeared. This description reminded me of the only film to truly scared me, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Second time director Jessica Hausner however, is no Kubrick.

The characters in this film are very one dimensional. Even the main character Irene, who finds herself in some situations that might scare a normal person, does not react at all. As a direct result, neither does the audience. The environment was also very bland. You would think the director would scout a location with some atmosphere for a psychodrama, but instead we're shown a very boring well kept hotel. This film is shot without any style whatsoever. The director must have thought a few of the scenes were terrifying (walking down a hallway, or looking into the woods), as she showed them over and over again. The conclusion was uninspired and predictable.

Note to amateur filmmakers everywhere ... If I can't put myself in the place of one of the films characters, and the situation isn't unusual or intense, and the environment does not seem unwelcoming, THERE IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF. Your psychodrama will not work. Geez, I thought that would be obvious. (3/10)