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Hotel America

Hotel America

Romance · Drama · 1981

Helene, a pill-addicted anesthesiologist, is mourning the death of her boyfriend when, through a car accident she causes, she chances to meet the lethargic Gilles, a young man who lives for free at his mother's hotel. Gilles pursues Helene romantically, and she eventually softens up. Gilles, however, is also devoted to Bernard, a petty crook who revels in mugging gay men. All three struggle with relationships that seem to be going nowhere.

Movie details

Hotel America

1981 Romance · Drama 1h 35m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

Helene, a pill-addicted anesthesiologist, is mourning the death of her boyfriend when, through a car accident she causes, she chances to meet the lethargic Gilles, a young man who lives for free at his mother's hotel. Gilles pursues Helene romantically, and she eventually softens up. Gilles, however, is also devoted to Bernard, a petty crook who revels in mugging gay men. All three struggle with relationships that seem to be going nowhere.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Hotel America?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

André Téchiné

Written by

André Téchiné · Gilles Taurand

Catherine Deneuve

Catherine Deneuve

Hélène

Patrick Dewaere

Patrick Dewaere

Gilles Tisserand

Etienne Chicot

Etienne Chicot

Bernard

Sabine Haudepin

Sabine Haudepin

Elise Tisserand

Dominique Lavanant

Dominique Lavanant

Jacqueline

Josiane Balasko

Josiane Balasko

Colette

François Perrot

François Perrot

Rudel

Court is in session

Put Hotel America on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.