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| Tim Roth appears as the strained bellhop at the center of it all on this poster for Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's Four Rooms |
At the Hotel Mon Signor in Los Angeles, Ted is the newly installed bellhop, who is quickly briefed about his job and begins on New Year's Eve for a night in which four rooms cause different kinds of problems for him.
Four Rooms is an anthology comedy from writer-directors Allison Anders (Strutter (2012)), Alexandre Rockwell (In the Soup (1992), Robert Rodriquez (El Mariachi (1992) and Quentin Tarantino (My Best Friend's Birthday (1987)), inspired by the adult short fiction of Roald Dahl (Beware of the Dog (1944)), especially his Man from the South (1948).
Most prominent of the 4 filmmakers at the time was, and still is, Tarantino, who may have indulged an overly developed self-confidence (after the huge success of Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994)) here, as he writes himself into his segment, the film's last, playing a famous director no-less. He becomes an obstacle in himself, between audiences and the story. But the concept of one troublesome hotel room for each filmmaker becomes too divided and dubious, - mostly because none of the segments are very good.
An added grievance in Four Rooms is Tim Roth's (United Passions (2014)) performance as Ted the bellhop, which is so exaggerated, caricatured and unfunny that it inevitably mars the entire picture.
What redeems parts of Four Rooms anyway, is some of its supporting actors: David Proval (Newsbreak (2000)) as a mean bastard with an inferiority complex, Antonio Banderas (Black Butterfly (2017)) as a tough father and Bruce Willis (Rugrats Go Wild (2003)) (before another character's pinky finger is cut off).
Related posts:
Robert Rodriguez: The Faculty (1998) or, Teacher Encounters of the Third Kind
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) - Tarantino, Rodriguez and chums' enjoyable Mexico vampire extravaganza
Desperado (1995) - Rodriguez' second Mexico actioner is a sexy, latino fireball
Quentin Tarantino: 2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Django Unchained (2012) - Tarantino's gutsy, colorful 'Southern'
Inglourious Basterds (2009) - The Movies take revenge on Nazi scum
Top 10: Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Death Proof (2007) - Tarantino's awesome, rubber-burning Grindhouse homage
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) - Tarantino, Rodriguez and chums' enjoyable Mexico vampire extravaganza (writer-star)
Desperado (1995) - Rodriguez' second Mexico actioner is a sexy, latino fireball (actor)
Watch a clip from the film here - this one is from Rodriguez'a segment
Cost: 4 mil. $
Box office: 4.2 mil. $ (North America only)
= Uncertain
[Four Rooms premiered 16 September (Toronto International Film Festival, Canada). Shooting took place in Los Angeles, California, including at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont hotel from November - December 1994. The film peaked at #18 in 319 theaters in North America. Its international grosses are not reported, but it was released in more than 20 foreign markets. Its theatrical status cannot be made up without these numbers. Madonna won a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress for her performance in the film. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Anders returned with Grace of My Heart (1996), Rockwell with Louis & Frank (1998), Rodriguez with From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and Tarantino with masterpiece Jackie Brown (1997). Four Rooms is rotten at 14 % with a 3.5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Four Rooms?
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