Comedy
1 hour and 38 minutes
Rated: R
Written by: Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino
Directed by: Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Lawrence Bender
Cast:
Tim Roth
Antonio Banderas
Jennifer Beals
Paul Calderon
Sammi Davis
Valeria Golino
Madonna
David Proval
Ione Skye
Lili Taylor
Kathy Griffin
Marisa Tomei
Tamlyn Tomita
Comedy, Confusion And Chaos... Compliments Of The House!
"What a cast! What a waste!" read film critic Leonard Maltin's initial review of this 1990s indie-comedy anthology. I hardly ever find myself agreeing with the "big" film critics, who make their living critiquing a medium of art which they themselves have never had the courage to participate in, but in this case - I'm willing to make an exception.
For most film junkies, especially those who are enticed by the indie-boom of the 1990s, Four Rooms may seem like the holy grail. The four filmmakers attached as well as the cast are a cinematic wet-dream. The film also marks the first collaboration (behind the camera, anyway) of filmmakers Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino - who went on to give us such gems as From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City, and Grindhouse. Four Rooms, however, just simply cannot live up to the high expectations set by its talent.
Even though the film is meant to play out as the continuous story of Ted the Bellhop's (Tim Roth) New Year's events at the Hotel Mon Signor, each story (written and directed by one of the four filmmakers) is so vastly different from the other that the idea that the audience is watching one film instead of four is completely lost by the second story. This can be attributed to the talent of the four filmmakers in question. Each one is (or was if we want to be specific about Rockwell and Anders) so uniquely talented that their collaborating with others of the same caliber is undeniably out of the question. Whereas the whole film is supposed to be a comedy, one finds themselves only laughing at one (or maybe two, depending on one's humor) part of the story.
The first part, directed and written by Allison Anders, follows Ted the Bellhop as he is needed to partake in a coven of witches' ceremony to bring about a dead goddess. This first story should've set the tone that Four Rooms is a laugh-out-loud comedy, but instead we're given a bizarre scenario cut with plenty of film-school editing techniques. Tim Roth is shown to have all the charm and mannerisms of a silent movie star (this continues in Rockwell's segment, but thankfully disappears for Rodriguez' and Tarantino's segments), but in a motion-picture that has sound his over-the-top gestures and panicky, high-pitched voice are just annoying and get in the way of things. Madonna has a nice cameo as herself (and by herself I mean a middle-aged witch that's still trying to cling on to a shred of youth by having platinum blonde hair, and wearing a leather dress that's so tight she is given the physique of a blood-sausage).
The second segment, written and directed by Alexandre Rockwell, suffers from many of the same ailments as the first. Rockwell tries to go for a unique story that involves few new characters to be introduced, but once again all humor that should be present is totally lost. The saving grace of the scene is Jennifer Beals, who is unquestionably a greater actress than most of her films would suggest.
Part three, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, is the only story that can truly be called a "comedy". Where Rockwell fell short, Rodriguez succeeds. Using few characters, and one location he is able to create some truly humorous situations. Antonio Banderas is in fine form, delivering Rodriguez' dialogue as if it were second nature. The child actors are truly gifted and Rodriguez' talent of working with child actors (with the later Spy Kids franchise) is clearly apparent. Even Tim Roth, who before was obnoxious, is brought back to a realistic performance that makes his delivery and timing of dialogue hysterical and believable. The only thing flawed with Rodriguez' segment of the film is its attempt to be tied with Rockwell's. The little girl calls Ted the Bellhop at the front desk and then immediately calls the room where he is being held at gunpoint in Rockwell's scene. How did Ted manage to be in two places at once? Especially when the phone call came halfway through Rockwell's story. It just doesn't work.
The final movement, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, is questionable. Fans of Tarantino will undeniably appreciate it for what it's worth. Tim Roth, Bruce Willis, Paul Calderon and Tarantino himself deliver lengthy monologues pertaining to 1920s silent films, 1960s television shows, the differences between champagne and cristal, and the simple things in life such as being drunk and making outrageous bets. What makes this scene questionable is also its lack of humor. For a comedy, this scene is too bloated with dialogue that sets up the characters and situation for it to be funny. While it works - enough suspense to keep us entertained until the quick and brutal climax - it's just not funny.
Other wasted performances include Kathy Griffin as Roth's boss. If you're going to showcase a standup comedienne in a cameo within a 1990s indie-comedy, wouldn't you want to give her some dialogue that's actually funny? Griffin has little more to do than tell Roth what it is he should be doing. Marisa Tomei (an Academy Award winner) pops up in the same scene as a stoner chick. Her performance serves as nothing more than a catalyst that allows our leading man to recount the events of the film thus far. Salma Hayek also appears in lingerie on a nudie-television channel in the background of Rodriguez' segment.
Four Rooms should have been a cinematic masterpiece of 1990s indie filmmaking, but ultimately it stands as a train wreck of a motion-picture with only a few redeemable moments. In the end, the film just couldn't handle the amount of unique talent which it boasts.
4/10
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