HOTEL ARTEMIS – A Review by Cynthia Flores
This is a short fun ride of a movie and worth checking in. Hotel Artemis is the directorial debut film from writer/director Drew Pearce who wrote great action films such as 2013’s Iron Man 3 and 2015’s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, but this time it’s all him in the driver's seat. He did stack the deck in his favor by casting great actors and actresses in all the rolls.
Most dystopian, action crime, thriller, films about only criminals in the near future have to work really had to get you rooted in their gritty reality, but with Jodie Foster in the lead as The Nurse, it takes her less than a minute and a half to bring us all into this gritty exclusive hotel/hospital for members only. I loved the long list of rules on the wall such as “No using real names (they go by the name on their themed hotel room), No guns, No yelling at the staff, No killing other guests.” She hurries down the dingy hallways doing her job of intake of new guests in a rushed matter of fact way. She is the connoisseur of bullet wounds. When it gets crazy, her motto is “It’s just another Wednesday.”
Her tools are high tech, including printing a new liver for Waikiki’s (Sterling K. Brown) little brother Honolulu (Brian Tyree Henry), who got shot in a bank robbery at the beginning of the movie. When the Nurse is admitting them at the barred off entrance and confirming they are members in good standing by scanning their chips embedded under the skin of their right wrists, she discovers that the other member of the bank heist is not a member. He’s been shot and threatens all sorts of mayhem if not allowed in. That’s when the Nurse calls for Everest (Dave Bautista), a man as big as his name implies. He’s the orderly that works alongside of the Nurse running the hotel.
The story runs the length of The Nurse’s busy day and through the different agendas of her clients including the arrival of the owner of the hotel and most of the city of LA, the Wolf King (Jeff Goldblum). Once he checks in, he is known as Niagara and he too has a few secrets. He’s been wounded and his son Crosby Franklin (Zachary Quinto) is forced to wait in the foyer with his men as his father is operated on – not knowing that one of the hotel guests is a hired assassin there to perform an “eye to eye” kill on his father.
Everyone has a backstory and Waikiki’s centers around keeping his little brother alive. I won’t give it all way, but the movie at its heart is about the people we love (both living and dead) and how this shapes our current lives and decisions. Also, there are some really good fighting scenes along the way involving Nice (Sofia Boutella) and everyone else. Wow that chick is tough and trust me, you don’t want to try and cross her literal line in the dirt. Also, it’s good to see Dave Bautista get as much screen time as possible. His portrayal of Everest, the big hearted tough guy who thinks of the Nurse as family and not just his boss is fun to watch.
Hotel Artemis is a solid summer action film worth braving the heat to see it on the big screen. I give it a solid A rating.
Directed By Drew Pearce
Written By Drew Pearce
Rated R
Selig Rating A
Running Time 1hr 37min
Action / Crime
Wide Release June 8th
Starring: Jodie Foster, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista, Sterling K. Brown, Jeff Goldblum, Jenny Slate, Zachary Quinto
The Selig Rating Scale:
A – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
B – Good movie
C – OK movie
D – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
F – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
