I don't agree with the comment I just read about this film, because I felt that this movie had indeed something very original, even if the similarities to other movies is obvious. Director Williams pointed out that he hadn't seen Donnie Darko before writing this script, so we just believe him or we don't. He certainly uses locations, aspects from other movies or books, but "Starfish Hotel" is still a fascinating experience.
It reminded me of watching Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" for the first time. I didn't really understand the film as a whole, but just felt that it isn't just random weirdness. You really get the feeling that there is a certain sense behind every scene and you start thinking about it a lot. Is it all shown in the correct chronological order? Is it all reality or is it partly a dream? Is maybe everything just in the head of this novel writer who we see from time to time? Yet while watching the movie I had different theories and I believe that I would appreciate this movie more, watching it a second time in the future. Just like "Mulholland Drive", which I believed to understand after watching it the third or fourth time. The problem is that I probably will not have the possibility to watch "Starfish Hotel" a second time if it's not discovered as a worthy movie for releasing it on DVD.
Maybe I'm just wrong. Maybe it's just random weirdness and completely stolen from other movies and books, but I just had the feeling it was not. I know a lot of similar movies that are just weird and nothing else and I'm not thinking about them anymore after leaving the cinema. "Starfish Hotel" is not one of them. I thought about it a lot after watching it and are still thinking about it. It is definitely worth a look if you look these kind of movies.
It reminded me of watching Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" for the first time. I didn't really understand the film as a whole, but just felt that it isn't just random weirdness. You really get the feeling that there is a certain sense behind every scene and you start thinking about it a lot. Is it all shown in the correct chronological order? Is it all reality or is it partly a dream? Is maybe everything just in the head of this novel writer who we see from time to time? Yet while watching the movie I had different theories and I believe that I would appreciate this movie more, watching it a second time in the future. Just like "Mulholland Drive", which I believed to understand after watching it the third or fourth time. The problem is that I probably will not have the possibility to watch "Starfish Hotel" a second time if it's not discovered as a worthy movie for releasing it on DVD.
Maybe I'm just wrong. Maybe it's just random weirdness and completely stolen from other movies and books, but I just had the feeling it was not. I know a lot of similar movies that are just weird and nothing else and I'm not thinking about them anymore after leaving the cinema. "Starfish Hotel" is not one of them. I thought about it a lot after watching it and are still thinking about it. It is definitely worth a look if you look these kind of movies.