Review of Hotel Chevalier (2007) by Pedro P — 19 Feb 2008

A 13-minute prologue to Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited. From personal experience, I can say its viewing undoubtedly enriches the Darjeeling cinematic experience. It's about an American named Jack (Jason Schwartzman), in a fancy Paris hotel, who has an unexpected reunion with an estranged girlfriend (Natalie Portman).

Shot two years ago, before screenwriters Anderson, Schwartzman, and Roman Coppola developed the character into one of the three brothers on Darjeeling's rail journey across India, Hotel Chevalier sees Anderson working in his customary jewel-box/dollhouse mode, but the form and length really suit each other here.

Anderson's taste in '60s British Invasion pop tunes is present as well, in the repeated use of Peter Sarstedt's "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)". Chevalier is an exquisite short story where we learn not much but exactly enough about these two characters; plus, there are several allusions in Darjeeling to elements of Chevalier that, after watching the feature film, fit like a puzzle and that you won't catch if you haven't already seen the short.

As for the drooling fanboy talk that Portman finally gets naked... well, not quite. Like the film, she reveals not much, just enough.