Steve131 Review of Hotel Desire

Hotel Desire (2011)

Lacks Character development to explain the storyline.

[2/10 · 23 November 2022]

I don't quite understand why so many others reviewed this film so highly. For me it lacked a back story and character development to explain the actions of the main characters. The basic story is about a Maid, Antonia, that works in hospitality at a hotel. It's a scorching hot day, and she is running late for work. She first has to drop her son off at the bus for a 2 week stay with his father. When she finally gets to work, she is berated by one staff member after the other. First, fighting with the doorman for parking her car illegally out front, then with her boss for being perpetually late, and finally by the hotel manager for failing to keep the hotel supplied with sanitary wipes. She is given one last chance to shape up or be fired. We then see her in the employee locker room sobbing, a female coworker asks her what is wrong. She fills her in on how bad her day is going, and her life in general. Her coworker prods a bit deeper and gets her to open up that she hasn't had sex in 7 years. She gives Antonia a pep talk and tells her she has to make time to enjoy life and take care of herself. All of a sudden, the coworker gives her a passionate kiss, and then goes to take a shower, as the hot day makes her feel sweaty and sticky. From there the story shows us Antonia making her housekeeping rounds room to room at the hotel, until she comes to the last room the VIP suite. She enters and assumes it is empty and starts to do her job. She suddenly hears a glass shatter and realizes she is not alone. There is a cell phone on the bed, and it starts to ring. She is frozen standing Infront of the window as a naked man enters the room from his shower. He answers the phone and appears to be lying to his employer, that he is in the elevator and on his way to work. We then find out he is blind, as he gets his clothes ready that are labeled in brail by color. As he reaches down to the floor for his shoes he feels around and touches Antonia's feet. He then moves his hand up to explore her body. This is where I say the film lacks congruity and needs explanations. He now knows he is not alone, but instead of screaming in fear, these two strangers kiss and then have explicit sex on his bed. The film ends after the sex act as they share a cigarette. Too many unanswered questions. How does this blind man make love with no fear to a stranger in his room? Did he somehow know it was the maid? Was putting her son on the bus important only to give a reason for her being late for work? The film was lost on me.