VividSimon Simply Perfect

Executscan Expected more

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Michael Ledo Set in dreary Indie symbolic winter, "Motel Life" is a story of despair and unconditional love Frank (Emile Hirsch) has for his brother Jerry Lee (Stephen Dorff). After Jerry Lee accidentally kills a kid on a bicycle, Frank abets him in disposing of the evidence and moving on. The brothers and everyone they touch have lives of despair which are brightened by Frank's story telling.When the film wasn't slow and boring, it was filled with despair. It was certainly well acted and well scripted, for what it was. However on the entertainment scale, it was one I could have missed; a good movie I didn't like.The film won the audience award at the 2012 Rome Screen Fest as well as best screenplay among 17 films.Parental Guidance: F-bomb, sex, nudity- much of it was cartoon.

l_rawjalaurence The initial premise for Alan and Gabriel Polsky's low-budget indie movie is a familiar one. Two brothers - Frank (Emile Hirsch) and Jerry-Lee (Stephen Dorff) make a childhood pact never to be separated. They hole up at a Reno motel, where we discover that Jerry-Lee has killed someone, forcing the brothers to move on to another seedy motel in a remote small town during the depths of winter. The focus centers on the rootlessness of their lives as they try to make the best of unprepossessing circumstances.Several road movie conventions are present in the movie - the use of shots of deserted, often soulless highways; the impersonality of motel rooms with their identikit furniture and cramped living conditions; and the seedy roadside cafés where Frank spends much of his time having snatched conversations with passing acquaintances before buying food for his disabled brother. The two of them have never enjoyed a settled existence; like nomads they move from place to place, making the best of primitive living conditions.What lifts this film above the run-of-the-mill is the emphasis on the brothers' creativity. Jerry-Lee has only one leg, the result of a childhood accident when he fell off a moving train. But this handicap does not prevent him from being a talented artist. His abilities relate directly to one of the film's major themes, realized through Mike Smith's brilliant animation. Frank is a storyteller, weaving fantasies of male heroism and female conquest every night to keep Jerry-Lee amused; these fantasies are portrayed on screen, suggesting that Jerry-Lee is using his god-given talent to create mental images in his imagination. Through this device we learn something of the brothers' potential; despite their humdrum lives, they have stories to tell that can engage our interest just as deeply as those higher up the social scale.Alan and Gabriel Polsky's use of music is striking, not only evoking the mood of each scene but creating a wistful ambiance, making us realize how people often have little or no opportunity to make use of their talents. THE MOTEL LIFE may be a modest movie, but it is certainly compelling.

LeonLouisRicci Dire, Depressing, and a Bit Boring, this Indie Slice-of-Life Definitely has Talented Filmmakers at Work, but this is so Downbeat that it Never Raises True Concern or Empathy from the Viewer. Mostly Because it just Tries Too Hard.Virtually Humorless, Except in the Violent, Sketchy Animation that has its Charm. But that is about the Only Thing Charming in this Desperate Tale of Brotherhood. Emile Hirsch is Stoic and Noble in His Devotion to the Handicapped Stephen Dorff Playing Against Type as a Half-Wit Artist that is Hobbled by More than just One Leg.It is a Good Try, but the Film is Lifeless in its Showing of a Life with Less than Nothing to Live for. It Needs Some Upbeat Tweak to Contrast and Balance the Bleak and the Bummer that this so Strongly Embraces.

detjenmi Recently, I saw the The Motel Life with Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff and Dakota Fanning and thought it was really interesting, captivating and told a true, dark story of two brothers. Directed by the Polsky Brothers, they took on the adaptation of The Motel Life. I haven't read the book, but I wonder what the book fans thought of the movie. Emile and Stephen's performances are intense and both characters are challenged as they run from the cops, search for money and try to survive. I really enjoyed Emile's performance. He portrayed Frank very well and could see the struggle to keep his brother well. As well, the sketch animation that is incorporated in the film just added to the story. That was one of my favorite aspects of the films. Sometimes films that try to add in animation with real life does not turn out well, but in this case, it worked!