Surprisingly, this is a deliciously dark comedy, with a Coen brothers feel. The surreal element and grimy scenery form a marvellous stage for the actors to turn in top-notch performances. And what a cast - Collette and Craig breathe life into the script, while Tompkinson manages to capture the sleazy hotel manager without becoming a caricature. There's also some terrific turns from Katrin Cartlidge and Helen McCrory. It's an idiosyncratic, acquired taste, but its message - buried under congealed gloom it may be - is a refreshing one, and this is an assured feature debut from previous short film director (and in this instance, coincidentally named) Gross.
Hotel Splendide Review
Rising out of a grim island seascape is the Hotel Splendide: once a glamorous resort, now a hideous health farm. The Blanche family run the hotel according to the standards of dear mamma, who believed in feeding guests eel-based products, then 'treating' them to liberal colonic irrigation and - gulp - using their excrement to heat the hotel.
Release Date:
22 Sep 2000
Running Time:
98 minutes
Certificate:
15
Original Title:
Hotel Splendide
It may be too dark and surreal for some palates, but get past the 'orribleness, and there's much fun to be had.
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