By Lauren Young
Staff writer
A salesman, a priest and a soul singer walk into a motel … while this statement packs no punchline, it sure packs some punches, gunshots, liquor-bottle smashing and plenty of sinning in Director Drew Goddard’s decadent “Bad Times at the El Royale,” a neo-noir thriller set at a groovy, though nearly-deserted, motel with the state line of California and Nevada running through its lobby.
Directed by Goddard (“Cabin in the Woods”), this western-inspired story is set in 1969 at the El Royale, “no place for a priest,” according to the motel’s nervous manager Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman). It follows characters Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), Seymour “Laramie” Sullivan, a vacuum cleaner salesman (Jon Hamm), Motown singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo) and gun-slinging hippie (Dakota Johnson) as they rent out rooms at the nostalgic motel all within the same hour.
Goddard takes tips from Quentin Tarantino by sectioning off this “Pulp Fiction”-esque film into chapters, each diving deeper into a character’s backstory and perspective. Featuring tunes from Deep Purple and the Isley Brothers, this film pays homage to the psychedelic 60s and the rise of American crime underneath its paisley-patterned exterior.
While there may have been some “bad times” (and missed opportunities) at the El Royale, moviegoers will have a good time watching this noir thriller with clever dialogue and a motel with more secrets than its guests.
Standout performances
With such a brilliant ensemble of actors and actresses, the cast of “Bad Times at the El Royale” add flavor to this far-out motel with their dimensional performances and sharp dialogue.
Veteran actor Jeff Bridges gives a dynamic performance as the elderly Father Flynn, a priest that appears to stumble upon the motel, but wishes to stay at a specific room. His chemistry with soul singer and vocal powerhouse Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo) is electric, as Erivo is just as pleasant as her character’s name suggests. Struggling to make it big without succumbing to the cruel reality of show business, Broadway star Erivo, who makes her feature film debut in “Bad Times,” uses her rich, soulful voice as her weapon of choice, exercising it throughout the film, even when she thinks she’s not being heard.
“Mad Men” actor Jon Hamm plays the suspiciously charismatic Seymour “Laramie” Sullivan, a vacuum cleaner salesman with the southern flair of Foghorn Leghorn who fails to sell any vacuum cleaners, but sure sells his act. His charm, however, is not enough to fool Emily, played by Dakota Johnson, who gives an alluring performance as the street-smart hippie far from the damsel in distress-(ed) jeans stereotype.
Shirtless cult leader Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth) makes his grand entrance later in the story, a decaffeinated version of Charles Manson in the body of a Californicated Jim Morrison. Hemsworth commands scenes with his long, flowing mane and self-indulgent musings of morality, though his larger-than-life ego comes with little roar. While the provocative Billy Lee is memorizing with his chiseled abs and hips of Shakira, his character is milder than the maniacal murderer audiences were expecting of him, but is undoubtedly fun to watch.
Lewis Pullman was intriguing as the El Royale’s anxious manager Miles Miller, a character with perhaps the greatest sins of all. Miller has seen a lot of “bad things” at the El Royale, and though some of it is vocalized or cryptically alluded to, much is left to the audience’s imagination. Though Miller’s extensive history within the motel is excluded, it would have made a great addition to the ominous air of the “El Royale,” adding elements of horror to a screenplay requiring more of such.
Overall rating
Out of 10, I rate this movie a seven for its exhilarating 60s imagery and tunes, amusing personalities, unapologetic violence and Chris Hemsworth’s dance moves.
“Bad Times at the El Royale” is a captivating character-driven film with an electrifying cast, though it fails to write its villain to its full potential, carries on some scenes for too long (how long do we have to listen to Cynthia Erivo sing at a mirror for?) and leaves out many deviant details of the motel’s history that would have made for a much creepier and sinister story of what it means to be good or bad.
Throughout October, Lauren Young will be reviewing new movies hitting the silver screen at the Oneida Movieplex, located at 2152 Glenwood Shopping Plaza in Oneida. For information and showtimes, visit movieplex.zurichcinemas.com
