20131216: Drama Review--28 Hotel Rooms

28 Hotel Rooms

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. American live action feature length film, 2012, NR, 82 minutes, drama.
2. IMDB: 5.3/10.0 from 1,303 audience ratings.  Aspect 1.78.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 43% on the meter; 40% liked it from 925 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 3.1/5.0 from 68,239 audience ratings.
5. Written and directed by: Matt Ross.
6. Starring: Chris Messina as Man, Marin Ireland as Woman, Robert Deamer as Bartender.


2. Setup and Plot
1. She is from Seattle; he is based in New York.  He is a novelist; she is a data miner.  They travel in their work and meet now and then.  They are rather guarded about their personal information, but are obviously attracted to one another.  They get to know each other over time.  She reads his book and likes it.


2. Eventually they talk about anything and everything.  Their careers change over time.  They discuss the meaning of what they do.  They deal with life events.


3. When he is about to get married (she has been for some time), they talk about dropping their mates and marrying each other.  But somehow it does not happen.


4. They have some tough times as well, such as when they talk about why they have not married each other.  The ambivalence shines through again.


5. Some of their pretend conversations about possible lives together are fantasy, but still priceless.  The acting by Chris Messina and Marin Ireland was very nuanced.


6. She gets pregnant, and decides to rear the child with her husband of record.  Both of them have trouble dealing with it, but it's the decision that involves the least damage. Other changes come along, like his inability to drink coffee, due to a stomach condition.


7. Will they keep meeting, or will their married lives force that tradition to break?




3. Conclusions
1. Strong resemblance to Same Time, Next Year with Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn, 1978.
2. One line summary: Enduring relationship between two people not married to each other.
3. Five stars of five.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 9/10 Fine, except for the occasional camera shake.


2. Sound: 9/10 No problems.


3. Acting: 10/10  The two principals are quite good.


4. Screenplay: 9/10 Well told evolution of a long-lasting affair between two people who are more than friends.