A year after competing at the Cannes Palme d’Or with The Queen, directed by Alicia Vikander and Jude Law, director Karim Ainouz is back in the official competition at the 77th edition of the festival with a new feature – a completely different shot: Motel Destino.
The movie just hit theaters this Wednesday, December 25th to raise the temperature in theaters!
A regular at the Cannes Film Festival since the early 2000s, the Brazilian filmmaker, who cut his teeth with Todd Haynes, offers an erotic thriller that takes us to Ceara, on Brazil’s northeast coast, where it’s 30 degrees year-round.
Every night at the Destino Motel, dangerous games of desire, power and violence take place in the shadows. One evening, the arrival of a young Heraldo breaks the rules of the motel…
Did Motel Destino convince its first audience? The press averages 2.5 out of 5 (out of 15 titles), while internet users give it an average rating of 2.8 out of 5, thanks to 34 people* who have rated it so far (including 19 internet critics).
Distinctive style
Internet users liked the style of the movie. Motel Destino has a neon aesthetic and a soundtrack that stands out.
max7_13 (4 / 5): “This thriller expresses intense sexual tension. The images are very fresh and the story is hypnotic. It’s a very good movie.”
Frederick S (4/5):Exotic, erotic, psychological, aesthetic, romantic, many features for the film. I like it, I like it very much.”
Pillow (3/5):Incredible aesthetics, with exquisite photography. However, you have to appreciate the feeling of some discomfort in the face of very rough and daring scenes.“
Guillaume B. (3/5):Coen Brothers Made in Brazil! A motel atmosphere for adults amid crime and physical and mental abuse.“
Find all viewer reviews on AlloCiné
Everything seems to be disappointing
If the form of the film is quite pleasant, the substance is less popular: the classic plot and the lack of character depth are disappointing.
GS27 (2.5/5):Below his festering Jeu de la Reine, this new Karim Ainouz struggles to win over the audience by never giving his film a purpose and letting it spin in circles in the antics of its characters. The image work remains sublime, and the film has the merit of being just the right pace without being fundamentally uncomfortable.
Marina CATANESE (2/5):Special mention for bright color pictures! The rest is rather uncomfortable with a continuous background of moaning in the form of a soundtrack. Metaphors and symbols that confuse the message of the film and damage the thriller.
We can’t wait to find out how this lovable and somewhat loathsome quagmire (let’s put it that way) ends. It will be seen at the Cannes Film Festival.“
Speed (1/5): “After leaving the Croisette empty-handed, it will be very surprising if “Motel Destino” manages to impress a large number of viewers. We are here with a kind of unofficial and mediocre remake of the 4 films adapted from The Postman Always Rings Twice, a novel by James Malahan Kane published in 1934: 2 films of the same name as the novel, by Tay Garnett and. Bob Rafelson, plus Pierre Chenal’s The Last Turn and Luchino Visconti’s The Devilish Lovers.“
Motel Destino is currently in theaters.
* Average as of Thursday, December 26, 2024 from ratings and reviews seen on AlloCiné
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
