Pace and Action at ’Hotel Artemis«

Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) - Virginia Eufemi

Swiss premiere in the «Films of the third kind» category at NIFFF, Hotel Artemis Drew Pearce's film follows in the tradition of action movies while showcasing a unique and innovative style.

The penthouse at the Hotel Artemis doesn’t house ordinary suites. Nurse Jean Thomas (Jodie Foster) takes in injured criminals there who don’t want to be recognized in public hospitals. At the Hotel Artemis, they go by the names of their medical suites: Honolulu, Nice, Niagara, Acapulco. But the facility has very specific rules «that keep the outside world out»: you must be a member to receive treatment, weapons are not allowed, and you cannot kill other guests.

The location, kept secret, belongs to Mr. Franklin, as does most of the city of Los Angeles, which, in the year 2028, is engulfed in violent riots caused by water shortages. But when Nice, an alluring French undercover agent (Sofia Boutella), sets her sights on Niagara (Jeff Goldblum), Waikiki (Sterling K. Brown) had better get out of there before things get out of hand. Besides, aren’t rules meant to be broken?

Drew Pearce - screenwriter for some of Hollywood's biggest productions, such as Iron Man 3 - throws us right into the action from the very first minute of Artemis Hotel, which begins in medias res with a botched bank heist. Finally, an action movie in the true sense of the word! The pacing and flow of the scenes are the strong points of this fast-paced, gripping feature film, which succeeds on several levels. First, it sticks to the conventions of the genre: gunfire, sexy women, touching moments, and explosions. Artemis Hotel It thus follows in the tradition, without ever becoming predictable or tedious. Drew Pearce has directed an excellent action film here, carried by a very strong cast.

Jodie Foster delivers a nurse A deeply moving character—a woman marked by suffering, whose sole mission is to help others. But the true protagonist is the hotel itself; the viewer doesn’t follow a single character but several at once, who evolve and reveal themselves as the story unfolds in this eventful, closed-door setting. It’s always night in L.A.: the Hotel Artemis never sees sunlight—a nod to the goddess Artemis, associated with the moon, but also with hunting and wild animals. This refuge for wild souls alternates between a decadent 1970s atmosphere and cutting-edge medical technology.

The image is relatively dark, with shades of red and brown. The music is memorable, thanks to classic hits such as California Dreamin‘ (1966) by The Mamas and the Papas, whose lyrics—«I’d be safe and warm, if I was in L.A.»—stand in stark contrast to the atmosphere of insecurity that pervades the city. The narrative is linear, but features a few flashbacks, our nurse’s memories; unlike the darkness of the present, these are filled with light, as if they were suspended in time and space. In contrast, *Hotel Artemis* is set within a specific time and place, where we ultimately discover the events of «a simple Wednesday like any other.».

[table id=25 /]

Write to the author : [email protected]

Photo credit: © NIFFF