The biggest problem I've always had with French films is that they sometimes propose some really outrageous and thought-provoking ideas, but then they get hampered down in self-indulgence and pretentiousness.
Bunker Palace Hotel is one such film.
The first 15 minutes starts REALLY strong, and it's a captivating, visually engrossing setup with almost no dialogue. You just have to watch, pay attention, and attempt to understand what's unfolding. The unmatched cinematography and top-notch composition sets the mood with an almost steampunk-Gothic aesthetic.
It's truly remarkable, and it's not something you see in films often (save for maybe the similarities found in the Goth diesel-punk aesthetic of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, which came out the same year as this film).
In any case, once the remarkable visuals and architecture of the story begin to wear off, you find that the actual plot of the film meanders -- nay! It grinds to an actual halt about halfway through. A story that could have been told in half the time is stretched out to pad the runtime until we get to a philosophically intriguing, yet deflated ending.
If judging the film on the merits of the first half and the last ten minutes or so, I would give it an easy 8. However, the film is more than just the parts, but the sum of its parts and unfortunately the middle section just didn't do anything or go anywhere.
Neat ideas about automatons, deceit, elites hiding away while the world crumbles, and lots of political intrigue are kind of swept all by the wayside for pretension. It kind of vacuums all of the tension and interest out of the film because not only does nothing really happen, but the characters don't really say anything important, either.
If maybe the second half was filled with more exposition about how and why the world got to the way it was, and having characters argue their stances on which way was the right way, it could have padded out the runtime and also given viewers more insight into what was happening.
Instead, there's just a lot of circular banter that goes nowhere, and unfortunately Clara has almost no initiative nor agency to drive the plot forward. Worse yet is that she's not that interesting a character, yet most of the events revolve around her.
There's another character that is also introduced with a much more intriguing backstory but we don't get to learn much about him, and the way the whole thing resolves itself is kind of... disappointing, to say the least.
In any case, it's still an intriguing film with a fascinating premise and a lot of interesting sci-fi elements. The ups and downs make it difficult to rate evenly, and I imagine the score it has is due to the people who love it giving it a 10 and the people who hate it something under a 5. I feel I'm generous and evenhanded enough to give it a 6.
Still, when it comes to French sci-fi, Immortal (2004) is still my number one pick. It contains a lot of the typical French self-indulgence, but has a plot that scurries along at a quickened pace despite the lengthy runtime, and has lots of action, intrigue and twists and turns you don't see coming. Even still, if you've already seen Immortal and need more retro French sci-fi in your life, Bunker Palace Hotel isn't a bad way to spend 90 minutes or so.
