Bad Times at the El Royale

October 13, 2018 at 8:27 pm | Posted in 2018 | Leave a comment
Tags: Action Film, Cailee Spaeny, Chris Hemsworth, Comedy, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Drama, Drew Goddard, Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Movie Review, Nick Offerman, Period Piece, Xavier Dolan

◊ ◊ ◊ ½

It’s a long night some time in 1968 or ’69, in a hotel on the Nevada/California border and things are just not going well. In the world of cinema and theater, this is a common trope. At least since the mid-twentieth century, we have had stories of characters, all with their own secrets, trapped together for a day, a night, a weekend, until everything unravels. The first of these that I recall is O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” and the last one I remember is Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.” If a story like this is going to work, the characters have to be colorful enough, the stakes high enough, and the tension taut enough. Well, you can consider all those boxes checked. From the first scene, we know at least part of what is at stake. But, this is a Drew Goddard movie. He has directed only one other film (“The Cabin in the Woods”) and one TV show (“The Good Place”). Anyone who has seen either of those works, understands Goddard’s skill at misdirection and the joy he takes in slowly peeling back the layers of the onion. There are not nearly as many layers here as in the brilliant “Cabin in the Woods,” but this is a fun ride none-the-less. Everyone plays her/his character with grand abandon, although Chris Hemsworth is particularly creepy fun. And, mark my words, a year from now, we will all know the name of Cynthia Erivo; she has a presence on screen that is hard to ignore. Also, while we are speaking of things hard to ignore, the set was fantastic. Really, truly a joy to look at. It looked like something Wes Anderson would have created. It was so full of tiny, perfect details, like the split color of the carpeting between California and Nevada, the yellow high heels left by the jukebox, the entire feel of the honeymoon suite. The almost cartoon color palate reinforced the over-the-top feel of everything in this film. This film understood exactly what it was: a campy thrill ride that the audience could laugh at and jump at and thoroughly enjoy. And, for all of the excess, it also managed to find time for a genuinely touching moment and a sort of cathartic ending. This isn’t a masterpiece and it won’t take home any Oscars (nor is it even Goddard’s best film), but this is a damn fine way to spend a Saturday night.