Hotel Splendide - A Movie Review

Hotel Splendide is a unique and marvelous place.

Released in 2000, Hotel Splendide is based on the 1941 book written by Ludwig Bemelmans. Kath returns to a rundown hotel that sits on an island. In hopes of rekindling her relationship with the chef, she gets to know the other residents and their dreams beyond the island.

As soon as I finished Hotel Splendide, I sparked an exciting theory that changed the film. Hotel Splendide has a strange nature, a trait that few films have. This film is a metaphor to avoid staying in one place your whole life.

I have been on a Toni Collette binge. Her acting abilities are impressive, changing into different personalities for each role. Kath has returned to the island to prove a point. She takes over as co-chef and cooks delicious meals.

It was so weird seeing Daniel Craig in a role that was not James Bond! He is great in this role, feeling intimidated by Kath. He keeps a tame composure, telling his character’s story through his eyes. Craig and Collette have a sharp dynamic. As they compete to out-champion one another with plates of food, there’s an underlying dilemma on the island.

An ensemble of unique characters is at the hotel. The best way to describe the characters is fanatical. One guy is wearing a dark cloak that covers his full body. And he wears a mask over his face!

Stanley (Stephen Tomkinson) reminded me of a human Spongebob Squarepants. He is unsure of himself and afraid he won’t make the best of the world. More credits include Katrin Cartlidge, Hugh O’Conor, Helen McCrory, and Toby Jones. If you have not seen Jones in a movie, he has garnered a successful career as a character actor.

The hotel is a major character. Described as a unique and marvelous place, it is anything but that! Sitting on a small, compact island with a cloudy ocean view, Hotel Splendide is downright disgusting, with mold everywhere and leaky pipes. You can smell it rotting.

The Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, Northern Island played as Hotel Splendide. Production spent a year looking for the right filming location. Locations always matter wherever you’re filming. A dank beach surrounds the hotel with fog covering the area. The sun rarely ever appears in this foggy territory.

One story element that has drawn me to films is cooking. If you don’t like the hotel, the food makes up for it. I was salivating over the plates of food. Filmmakers were doing that on purpose!

After this movie finished, I thought of a theory that completely changed the whole movie for me. Terence Gross embraced the right tone, especially with the message. Hotel Splendide is a weird film, but we need more films like this. Gross expertly creates an uneasy atmosphere, drawing viewers into the ambiguous world of Hotel Splendide with meticulous attention to detail.

The characters fear what happens when they leave the island. When you think about it, Hotel Splendide represents a creative allegory. I won’t spoil anything in case you watch the movie, but it changed the story.

I could be analyzing too hard being the movie nerd that I am but pay attention to the wardrobe. Based on my theory about the film, the costumes resemble how the characters feel like they’re wasting away in life.

Hotel Splendide is yet another underrated film that I found in the hidden movie gem museum so check it out. Avoid what reviews have said and give it a chance.