I was mostly interested to see if Bono could write a movie script as well as he does lyrics. Look out, Hollywood, this Irish lad can write!
Million Dollar Hotel was funny, tragic and all together imaginative bringing out overlooked performances by an incredible cast: Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, Amanda Plummer, Gloria Stuart, Bud Cort, Julian Sands and Tim Roth, as well as Mel Gibson and with Jimmy Smits as this crazy Indian artist named Geronimo.
The story, half murder mystery and half crazy love story, takes place in L.A.’s Million Dollar Hotel, a haven for America’s healthcare dropouts where the loonies and depraved congregate side-by-side for $5 a night. Gibson plays a straight-laced FBI agent on the trail of his boss’ murdered son, Izzy (Roth), whose last residence was the Hotel. Upon his arrival, Gibson discovers two things: Izzy might just have committed suicide and that Gibson is as much of a freak as everybody else. Of course, is probably Bono’s way of asking, “Who is normal anyway?”
The catchy music, provided by Bono, Brian Eno and Hal Willner, brings a Modern Rock edge to the film that helps Wenders’ usually-way-too-long cinematic passages to flow. I find it unfortunate that this film didn’t catch on to a wider audience as its oddball but positive themes should have mainlined the pulse of modern America.
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