The Million Dollar Hotel is a residence in central Los Angeles occupied by many of the city's outcasts and misfits. When Izzy, one of the more popular tenants, dies in mysterious circumstances, the group are forced to bond closely together to fight off the hard-man dirty tactics of Detective Skinner (Gibson), who is assigned to find the supposed murderer.
The result is a dark and haunting story which maintains a dream-like atmosphere throughout. Jeremy Davies plays the retarded Tom Tom and pulls off one of the most hypnotic and lyrical characters ever seen. In almost a whisper, his narration and dialogue are poetic and inspiring; his acting and on-screen presence are fascinating to watch. Milla Jovovich as Eloise is also perfect in the role as a misfit fiction fanatic who is not all there, and yet plays a perfect love interest for Tom Tom. Mel Gibson plays the hard detective with constant neck and back troubles, his only interest is getting the case over at whatever cost so that he can meet up with his fiance. In a twist of the tale we discover that he too was once an outcast and misfit.
Other sub-stories exists throughout the film, such as the other residents using art work by the late Izzy to make themselves rich, and the involvement of a TV station in the hunt for the truth behind the death. These all add to the film in many ways, especially upon second viewing when many subtle lines slip into place and the grand scheme of things becomes clearer. But it is the crime story that is most important and works best.
On the down side, this film is very artistic and may therefore alienate a lot of general film viewers with its complicated script. The direction does let it down at times, seeming almost amateur in the way the scenes are cut between, and yet compelling and interesting at other times. It is also not the best role Mel Gibson has played, and certainly not what you would expect from him. However these points are very tolerable and almost forgiven by the quality of the characters you will come across, from the drunk with a toupee to the Liverpudlian who is convinced he wrote most of the Beatles' songs.
The story is the concept of Bono from U2, collaborating with Nicholas Klein and Wim Wenders. The location itself was the setting for a 1980s U2 video. All of the film's music is produced by Bono and Brian Eno, and works perfectly in conjunction with the haunting atmosphere. |
