"Hotel Coppelia" is set in the 1965 Dominican Republic at a seaside brothel, where the lives of a group of prostitutes take a dramatic turn when freedom fighters stage a revolutionary coup, but everything changes when the US army suppresses the revolution and takes the brothel as a military base. Director José María Cabral mostly ignores the rebels, he instead turns his attention to those forgotten by history, mainly women. He keeps us within the limited space that Judith (Lumi Lizardo) and her girls occupy: the hotel, the street, and the beach. Visually the movie is stunning, but it can be unexpected how raw, dark and brutal it is. The movie starts with abortion, there is a graphic rape scene and there are no happy endings here. The story is nothing spectacular, but it will hit with the sad reality of human history.
18 Reviews
The road of revolution and the fight for freedom is paved with blood.
Filmiarvustus29 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
very symbolic...
ops-5253529 March 2021
And not to bad a histric drama good technical production,good acting,a bit nudity, after all its a brothel under siege. It is a bit tideous on playlength and the war and action lacks for those squemish, but a recommended dominican republic made film from tgom.
A different kind of Dominican drama.
JnRosario24 May 2021
It is a movie that in its entirety we can consider it as good, however, the performances in many of the scenes lacked to convey the drama and intensity of the story. A very well structured script and direction, with the opportunity to stick even more to the real historical context.
utterly fake history of Dominican intervention
random-7077816 May 2022
Firstly it was not just the US, but Canada, Mexico, Brazil that participated in intervening in the 1965 Dominican civil war. For example Canadian troops were there from May 4, 1965 to October 22 1966, fighting the Cuban supplied and aligned communists. In fact the head of the Inter-American Peace Force (IAPF) sent to Dominican Republic was a Brazilian General. This intervention was about about separating two hyper violent warring sides, bot of which were killing civilians, by all historians accounts, the leftist killing the most.
US troops were barely involved in any of the fighting. There were 23 total US casualties, mostly from sniper fire while those troops were protecting civil institutions.
The violence was suppressed very quickly and US service personnel were a minority of the foreign troops there.
US troops were barely involved in any of the fighting. There were 23 total US casualties, mostly from sniper fire while those troops were protecting civil institutions.
The violence was suppressed very quickly and US service personnel were a minority of the foreign troops there.
Good movie, but not true to history
lmabadie8 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I liked this movie and was surprised by it. For once, Americans are the bad guys and depicted as Hollywood typically treats Germans, Russians, Arabs.... or anybody not aligned with US interests.
To me, the biggest problem was to announce in the opening titles that the movie is "based on true events" mixing real historic characters with fictitious ones, and events that never happened or that happened very differently. It is like if Rambo would also indicate in the opening titles "based on true events".
Most of the characters in the movie are fictitious. Tina Bazooka was a real one (there is even a beer that has her name) buy her death was very different than the one depicted in the movie.... to the point that she actually relocated to the US years after the events in 1965, and died when back to DR, at an old age.
Also, as critical as you can be of US interventions, Americans would have not been directly involved in the "dirty" aspects of the war. For sure they would have had a group of local operatives do most of the dirty job, as it was done throughout South America in the 70's .
No doubt, the prostitutes' from the brothel would have received Americans and their dollars with open (hands?). A brothel is probably the least realistic scenario for the depicted resistance events, which other than the background revolution and US invasion and intervention are fabrications and not very credible or historic.
As it is the norm these days, men are the bad guys, women the heroines, and there are several openly gay characters.
If this had been a completely fictional movie, I would have given it an 8/10. Due to the mix of history and fiction and some exaggerations/ stereotypes, I am giving it a 6/10.
To me, the biggest problem was to announce in the opening titles that the movie is "based on true events" mixing real historic characters with fictitious ones, and events that never happened or that happened very differently. It is like if Rambo would also indicate in the opening titles "based on true events".
Most of the characters in the movie are fictitious. Tina Bazooka was a real one (there is even a beer that has her name) buy her death was very different than the one depicted in the movie.... to the point that she actually relocated to the US years after the events in 1965, and died when back to DR, at an old age.
Also, as critical as you can be of US interventions, Americans would have not been directly involved in the "dirty" aspects of the war. For sure they would have had a group of local operatives do most of the dirty job, as it was done throughout South America in the 70's .
No doubt, the prostitutes' from the brothel would have received Americans and their dollars with open (hands?). A brothel is probably the least realistic scenario for the depicted resistance events, which other than the background revolution and US invasion and intervention are fabrications and not very credible or historic.
As it is the norm these days, men are the bad guys, women the heroines, and there are several openly gay characters.
If this had been a completely fictional movie, I would have given it an 8/10. Due to the mix of history and fiction and some exaggerations/ stereotypes, I am giving it a 6/10.
quite UNEXPECTED!!!
aaronrobin-809604 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Coming from the mediocrity of previous Dominican movies, this film is far above average when it comes to tone/story, acting, and all around direction. The plot is pretty compelling as a brothel for prostitutes is invaded by the U. S army during the Dominican Civil War of 1965. Sure it leans more on nudity and LGBT themes however, the film focuses more on the characters than the actual invasion as we see how these events affected them and we get to see the gravity of the situation and the point of honoring the unsung victims of the actual war. Personally I do not mind the subtitles as I find it hard that people cannot look past it following the recent success of other foreign films such as "Parasite" (2019). Massive props in representing the growth of Dominican cinema in a quality film. Solid acting , good cinematography, perfect runtime, and above average direction. I highly recommend it.
It started well but faded until it fell into a hole from which it did not emerge.
c_castell234 April 2021
The movie was very promising at the beginning and it was very interesting until it touches the subject of the American invasion. From one moment to another the movie suffers a stagnation and we don't know what it is about and it loses everything that had been achieved at the beginning. Good performance by Lumy Lizardo and the guerrilla woman. Nashla's performance was not for her, she still lacks a lot as an actress for roles like the one in the movie.
I give this movie a 5.5 out of 10.
I give this movie a 5.5 out of 10.
The transactional world of life and love on the fringes
MariaVictoriaLC17 April 2021
Great film by the young Dominican Director Jose Maria Cabral, with the same raw brutality he depicted in Carpinteros. Through the lens of the 1965 American invasion of the the Dominican Republic, Cabral hits on some classic themes including the brutality and arrogance of a dominant force over a weak nation, the legacy of sexual exploitation within families and society, the misplaced emotional bonds that keep people together. The film could have used more editing as it loses its focus at times and the plot becomes a bit murky. This seems due to Cabral's inability to let go of some of the side stories and characters, which, while interesting, distract from the story's arc.
Some of the characters are a bit cliché, including the general, who was reminiscent of Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now" (or is the cliché reality?). Nevertheless, as viewers we become invested in the film's characters and care what happens to them.
As a Dominican, I found the presentation of that historical moment, and how it affected these people who were already on the fringes of society, intriguing. Kudos to Cabral for depicting his unique Dominican point of view in film. Give us more!
Some of the characters are a bit cliché, including the general, who was reminiscent of Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now" (or is the cliché reality?). Nevertheless, as viewers we become invested in the film's characters and care what happens to them.
As a Dominican, I found the presentation of that historical moment, and how it affected these people who were already on the fringes of society, intriguing. Kudos to Cabral for depicting his unique Dominican point of view in film. Give us more!
Bad acting
jcporcella4 April 2021
If you like History, you'll love this movie
rgomez148 April 2021
Commie fantasy
evony-jwm2 May 2021
This is Extremely historically inaccurate, so much so as to be insanely absurd.
Hint No hotels we're destroyed in the Dominican republic. No American Colonels were killed. Total American casualties were 13 mostly from snipers.. no officers
In 65ish he Dominican republic devolved into lawless rando neighborhood gangs shooting it up. The 82nd airborne invaded then separated the multiple factions that included; a former military junta, 2 Commie "constitution" revolutions supported by Cuba, a militarized left of center, maybe more.
This movie's proceeds are financing Commie revolutionaries per the producer, director.
Hint No hotels we're destroyed in the Dominican republic. No American Colonels were killed. Total American casualties were 13 mostly from snipers.. no officers
In 65ish he Dominican republic devolved into lawless rando neighborhood gangs shooting it up. The 82nd airborne invaded then separated the multiple factions that included; a former military junta, 2 Commie "constitution" revolutions supported by Cuba, a militarized left of center, maybe more.
This movie's proceeds are financing Commie revolutionaries per the producer, director.
Best foreign movie during quarantine time
elvisminaya6 April 2021
An impressive link in the chain of Dominican Cinema évolution!
cabreu-282196 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start by saying this: I rather judge films according to the historical timeframe (age?) and effort of people which they come from. With that being said, I mean it wouldn't be fair to evaluate the 'young' Dominican Cinema and the actual very young Dominican filmaker (JMC, 32 years old) with the sane loop as we might use over many other countries and veteran exponents, to quote examples could be surely redundant, of course.
Hotel Coppelia, well, it isn't a masterpiece; but, coming from a limited budget; based on an ambitious point of view out from the passion of a youngster who should have gathered a huge pile of evidence, consulted a bunch of local historians, rebuilt a believable location around which shooting basically the whole film? Give me a break! The guy did the homework so far so good. I feel grateful with this piece, despitefully, however, I must conclude there was a bit quite unnecessary too much sex though. Anyways, acting, specially Lumi Lizardo, is outstanding; edition and music: great; and, above all the narrative of survival in the Dominican Republic which comes from way way behind, even though in this specific case is shown from the perspective of those disfuncional band of women.
Be patient world, the Dominican Cinema Is getting there!
Hotel Coppelia, well, it isn't a masterpiece; but, coming from a limited budget; based on an ambitious point of view out from the passion of a youngster who should have gathered a huge pile of evidence, consulted a bunch of local historians, rebuilt a believable location around which shooting basically the whole film? Give me a break! The guy did the homework so far so good. I feel grateful with this piece, despitefully, however, I must conclude there was a bit quite unnecessary too much sex though. Anyways, acting, specially Lumi Lizardo, is outstanding; edition and music: great; and, above all the narrative of survival in the Dominican Republic which comes from way way behind, even though in this specific case is shown from the perspective of those disfuncional band of women.
Be patient world, the Dominican Cinema Is getting there!
Unexpected treat
panta-44 April 2021
Unexpected treat from Dominican Republic... a historic drama of 1965, a year of civil war and US occupation during which many innocent lives were lost. Of course, nothing is changed and the US government still oppress all the democratically elected governments in the Latin America while trying to bully them into submission. But Dominicans fought and in that fighting there were unexpected heroes from the Hotel Coppelia, which was actually a brothel... real life drama, excellent acting, beautiful nude scenes, sadness and joy included equally in the inspiring screenplay, and directing which was uncompromising... impossible for me not to love it!
Excellent movie!!!
aloneboy_117 April 2021
Dominican cinema is improving with every movie, specially José María's. This movie keep you up from the beginning to the end. Stress show up but in a profesional way. It is not a movie to watch 3 times but definitely 2 times :-).
Excelente cine dominicano!
ogrl86-766-28715210 May 2021
It's a good film.
manuel_bido6 April 2021
Good movie. Entertaining for short times. Sometimes lose the rhythm but it is easy to recover it. Good performances from Lumy Lizardo and Jazz Vila. It's a drama that touches on historical events in the Dominican Republic in 1965.
This film shows us the other perspective of the revolution fight. 8/10.
This film shows us the other perspective of the revolution fight. 8/10.
Great Movie
marinogarcia-8674412 July 2022
Excellent very well done. Bravo for the Dominican film industry. The story hits home. I remember my mother telling me about the 1965 war how it reach town far from Santo Domingo. I love The US and I have serve but we had some president who were horrible like Johnson, who lie just to get the US in this Internal conflict.
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