BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE
US, 2018, 141 minutes, Colour.
Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, John Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman, Xavier Dolan, Shea Wigham.
Directed by Drew Goddard.
Quite a surprise. More than quite enjoyable.
The time certainly are bad. When? 1969. And where? At once glitzy, now rather seedy, big hotel on the border between California and Nevada – with the line marked in red out in the ground and continuing right through the centre of the hotel. One can either stay in California or choose to stay in Nevada!
And, it is a group of people, rather small here, who have come to stay that are the centre of the bad times. Actually, when they arrive, especially Father Flynn and African- American singer, Darlene Sweet, there is no concierge to meet them or books in. There is, a travelling salesman, full of bravado and boasting (racially insensitive), who welcomes them until banging the bell rings out the rather young and nervous staff member, the only one there, concierge, registrar, barman, speaking this peel about how wonderful the capital Real is.
In fact, this is a rather long film, but it has plenty of action, intriguing characters, unexpected situations, also unexpected time shifts in perspective so that the audience can see a particular event in a kind of re-wind but from another angle or another character’s point of view. (Most reviewers mention the name of Quentin Tarantino – so this review has followed suit!).
There have been some strange goings-on at the El Royale. Right at the opening we have seen a guest, 10 years earlier, digging up the floorboards of a room and burying a bag full of cash, replacing the boards, making the room needs – and then a stranger arriving and shooting him dead. So, we know there is money buried and are on the alert to see who will come to retrieve it.
And, it is possible to see because the salesman, not at all the person we thought he was with all the bluster, is in fact a government agent, sent there to debug the phones, knows that there is a corridor with a one-way mirrors in the rooms – and, we get a tour, watching the activities in the rooms, even a microphone being able to be turned on to catch the dialogue, and the discovery of a rather hard-vision young woman who has a younger woman gained and bound in her room. The agent reports to Washington and is told not to intervene. He does – and that is only the beginning of all kinds of bad times. (And the salesman is played by John Hamm, obviously enjoying himself, until…!)
Father Flynn seemed both the clerical type and not the clerical type, a typical enough and engaging performance by Jeff Bridges. He seems the most likely candidate to be after the money. Arriving with him, is the singer, played by British actress Cynthia Erivo, a subtle performance with several opportunities for her to sing. The brassy young woman is played by Dakota Johnson.
Particularly interesting is miles, the concierge, played by Lewis Pullman (son of Bill Pullman), who has been part of the mysterious history of the hotel, clearly a rendezvous for politicians and others to misbehave, be spied on, be filmed, he reported, subjects for blackmail…). Lewis is agitated, has a history (and later Vietnam war flashback), and is desperate to repent, to confess, glad that Father Flynn is about. Later, there is quite an effective confession sequence (writer-director Drew Goddard has a Catholic background).
And, there is even more, complications about the two women, flashbacks to an abusive father, to life in a cult where the leader might have some values but is actually preoccupied with sexual relationships. And, he is played quite convincingly, quite the opposite of Thor, by Chris Hemsworth.
Plenty of tangles, plenty of unmasking is on identities, somebody count, but, all in all, plenty of interest, plenty of action, quite a lot of humour, and, despite a long running time, very entertaining.
1. A thriller with differences? Creative screenplay, drawing of characters, situations?
2. The title, the El Royale, the border between Nevada and California, the line literally through the hotel? 1969, the glitzy look, hard and bad times, the beginning of decay? The lavish interiors, the rooms, the corridor of mirrors?
3. The flashbacks, their insertion throughout the film, the robbery and its aftermath, Arose on the beach encountering Billy Lee? The scenes of the cult? Darlene and the rehearsals and the threats from the producer?
4. The device of chapters, the nomination of the rooms, Washington DC, Billy Lee?
5. The opening, the 1950s, moving on 10 years? The use of the different times, the effect, the different angles of seeing the same events, the audience able to fill in the details from the repetitions of different angles?
6. The opening, the burying of the bag of money? The shooting? The tone?
7. The introduction to the capital Royale, Seymour and his presence, Darlene and the priest arriving, Seymour and his bravado, his performance, his insensitivity towards the African-American? His talk about sales and vacuum cleaners? His explanation of the hotel? Darlene, lack, quiet, the singer? Jeff Bridges as Father Flynn, his age, clerical style, not quite consistent? The interactions of these characters as they waited for the concierge?
8. Miles, his being late, registrar and the signatures, his speed about the hotel, his being the cleaner, the payment for the Coffee, barmen? The gradual revelation about miles, his job, spying, the mirrors, the camera, reporting to the anonymous management, his regrets? The role of the film? His wanting to confess, concerned with the priest? In the corridor, accidentally shot by Emily? His story, the flashbacks after his saying he killed many people, sniper in Vietnam, his experience in Vietnam? His wanting to repent?
9. Emily, brash, seen in her room, Rose bound to the chair? The flashbacks, rows of the beach, the encounter with Billy Lee? The two little girls, their father, Emily being protective? Their presence in the cult, Billy Lee and his preaching, explicit sexuality, Emily’s reaction, rows and her enthusiasm, the relationship with Billy Lee? Rows phoning for him to come?
10. Seymour, looking through the mirrors, his phoning Washington DC, the revelation that he was an agent, his orders, removing all the wires from the phones and rooms, told not to help Rows, his decision against it, the confrontation with Emily, her shooting him?
11. Jeff Bridges as Father Flynn, pleasant, his age, manner, meeting Darlene, interactions with Seymour, with Miles? His room, digging up the floorboards? Having a drink with the Darlene, sharing stories, wanting to sedate her, smashing his face with the bottle? His later explanations, his loss of memory, Alzheimer’s, the robbery, his brother and the masks, his brother bearing the money, in court, in jail sentence, 10 years, the interview with the doctor, the memory loss and the short time for living? Disguised as a priest to give more confidence? Bonding with Darlene, with Miles?
12. The reality of the story about Rose and Emily, Rose and her unsteady character? Swinging on the chandelier?
13. Father Flynn, digging up the floorboards, Darlene keeping watch and protecting him?
14. Rose, the phone call, Billy Lee and his thugs, Billy Lee and his swagger, personality, the background of seeing him as the cult leader?
15. Billy Lee holding everyone, tied up? The thugs with the guns? Rows giving up the information and names – endangering the lives of the hostages?
16. Billy Lee, the question is, the money, the film and its potential for blackmail, playing roulette, shooting Emily, Rosa’s reaction?
17. Miles, the buckshot in his face, his wanting to confess, Darlene persuading Father Flynn to keep up the pretence, the seriousness of the confession sequence, forgiveness,
Myles’s death?
18. Father Flynn, the money, the interrogation, the answers, Darlene and her being invited to sing?
19. Father Flynn, the sudden rise, bashing Billy Lee, the fight, the fire, the guns, Myles and his getting the gun, his skill as a sniper, shooting Billy Lee, all the thugs? Myles’s
death?
20. Father Flynn and Darlene surviving, Darlene burning the incriminating film? The burning down of the hotel? Gathering the money?
21. Darlene in Reno, singing, and Father Flynn as his ordinary self sitting in the audience?
22. The film described as in the vein of Quentin Tarantino – true or not?
