The story goes that Quentin Tarantino once planned to have different people direct the various segments of his eventual masterpiece "Pulp Fiction". That obviously never came to pass, but a year after the release of "Pulp Fiction" came "Four Rooms", a black comedy with four segments and four directors - Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Tarantino himself. The stories take place at an old hotel on New Year's Eve, with a bellhop named Ted (Tim Roth) acting as a link between them. "Four Rooms" was panned after its initial release, but has since become a minor cult item. It's an ambitious, uneven little movie - the shaggiest of dogs.
Weird decisions were definitely made with the opening segments by Anders and Rockwell, particularly in the editing room. Quite a bit seems to have been left on the cutting room floor, picking up the pace but increasing the "huh?" factor.
The Rodriguez segment is funnier and more focused. It's some of the best work of the director's career, and Antonio Banderas is fantastic as a Mexican gangster.
Marisa Tomei makes a brief but priceless appearance as Margaret, a stoned but amiable New Year's reveller, and then we are launched into the main event - Tarantino's room. His story is the best of the lot. It's talky and tense and ends with a wildly funny flourish.
Tim Roth is charged with holding this whole thing together, and he acquits himself just well enough. It's tough to imagine anyone else pulling off that bellhop uniform, and he provides the film with one of its most memorable images when he sashays down those hotel hallways to Combustible Edison's adorable retro-lounge soundtrack.
"Four Rooms" will surely attract Tarantino completists and the more adventurous movie buffs among us. To them, I can only say this: Be ready for something different. Have patience. Best of luck.
Weird decisions were definitely made with the opening segments by Anders and Rockwell, particularly in the editing room. Quite a bit seems to have been left on the cutting room floor, picking up the pace but increasing the "huh?" factor.
The Rodriguez segment is funnier and more focused. It's some of the best work of the director's career, and Antonio Banderas is fantastic as a Mexican gangster.
Marisa Tomei makes a brief but priceless appearance as Margaret, a stoned but amiable New Year's reveller, and then we are launched into the main event - Tarantino's room. His story is the best of the lot. It's talky and tense and ends with a wildly funny flourish.
Tim Roth is charged with holding this whole thing together, and he acquits himself just well enough. It's tough to imagine anyone else pulling off that bellhop uniform, and he provides the film with one of its most memorable images when he sashays down those hotel hallways to Combustible Edison's adorable retro-lounge soundtrack.
"Four Rooms" will surely attract Tarantino completists and the more adventurous movie buffs among us. To them, I can only say this: Be ready for something different. Have patience. Best of luck.