Century Hotel
1 murder, 3 love affairs, 4 lost souls, 7 stories, 1 hotel room.
Century Hotel is a sumptuous and stirring epic based on a hotel room that, over the course of a century, sees every kind of human drama an illicit love affair, an unsolved murder, a young woman's first sexual encounter, and the creeping onset of madness. Through a series of seven intricately woven stories, we witness the defining moments in the life of room number 720. Beginning in 1921 on the hotel's opening night and moving through depression-era 1933, we emerge in 1945 to witness a post-war lovers' reunion, enter a noirish nightmare in 1953, the sex, drugs and rock'n'roll of the '60s and on to the decadent 1980s before the dramatic climax on the eve of the new millennium.
Century Hotel is a sweeping tale of love, betrayal, passion and tragedy. Complex and emotional stories are interwoven-mirroring and contrasting one another until they create a seamless portrait of relationships as the century progresses.
Member Reviews
Grand Hotel - SPSullivan
Displaying many of the strengths of low-budget filmmaking, "Century Hotel" relies on a sterling cast of relative unknowns and a fine script by Newson and Weaver. Although no less than seven distinct stories are woven together, Weaver keeps the movie coherent; wisely, none of the strands are neglected for too long, and each one has a unique tenor and composition. And, despite the confined setting (principally the hotel's Room 720), Weaver's direction is rarely repetitive. Part of the trade-off, though, is that Room 720 itself looks completely different in almost every segment, making the link between each tale all the more tenuous. It's also unfortunate that Weaver does not take greater advantage of the different era in which each segment is set; most of the stories could have easily been transplanted to different times without significant change. Although all the performances are good, Booth is a particular standout. She is able to accentuate both the similarities and the differences between the two characters she portrays, and dominates both her stories. Also noteworthy are Earl Pastko as a congenial hotel detective and Russell Yuen in a hilarious turn as a young man of dubious occupation. Maida and Kreviazuk certainly don't embarrass themselves in their first acting roles, and also contribute the terrific theme tune, "Can't Make It Good".Clever and Dark - Malakaiii
This movie has an independant charm to it (that may irk some Hollywood movie lovers).
Cleverly details the lives of many people throughout the century, all of whom found themselves in the same hotel room.
A nice peek into many different lives, and it's interesting to see the connections between so many people.
The film certainly has flaws, but while it's not perfect, I think this one is a hidden classic!
Member Reviews
Read All...
Grand Hotel - SPSullivan
Displaying many of the strengths of low-budget filmmaking, "Century Hotel" relies on a sterling cast of relative unknowns and a fine script by Newson and Weaver. Although no less than seven distinct stories are woven together, Weaver keeps the movie coherent; ...Clever and Dark - Malakaiii
This movie has an independant charm to it (that may irk some Hollywood movie lovers).
Cleverly details the lives of many people throughout the century, all of whom found themselves in the same hotel room.
A nice peek into many different lives, ...