Review of 28 Hotel Rooms (2012) by Kimberly B — 20 Apr 2013

This got some bad reviews, but I have to say that I don't fully understand this. Does a lot happen? No, not really, but that is ALWAYS true of so-called "indie" films. in fact, isn't it a requirement? To make sure the plot moves slowly and nothing much actually takes place? -- haha.

Yes, all the scenes occur in hotel rooms, so we see only snippets of these characters' interactions over an unspecified amount of time, but we know it must span a few years at least. But to its credit, the editing is such that the progress of time/plot moves ahead pretty quickly, and we are not subjected to overly-long scenes or gratuitous shots. We never linger in any one room, or any one period, for too long. This is a very honest & raw treatment of a generally taboo topic: infidelity that includes love on both sides: both the couples engaging in the infidelity and those individuals with their own partners. It is clear that both of the main characters (and there are only 2 in the film) love each other AND the people they are with, and this is what makes the film and the situation interesting and unusual. We never see the "others" in this film; only the 2 involved, but I think the myriad conflicted emotions and complicated situation that results from the situation are depicted honestly and movingly.

I read some very negative reviews in imdb and in this case as in many others in which a film depicts adultery WITHOUT condemning it or taking some self-righteous moral stand on it, people complained. They said it "glorified" adultery or that the characters were despicable in some way. To that I say: lucky you, that your own emotions have been so black-and-white, but I believe that in real life, quite often this is not how things play out. And this film depicts some very raw; very difficult; very complicated results from a complicated and very "gray" situation.

If you want moralizing or edge-of-your-seat action, this is not for you. But if you are interested in an adult (not prurient) film that makes you think, give it a try. I think this deserved much more praise than it received.