Review of Peace Hotel

Introduction

A Chinese western. Hmmm... Yes, hmmm....

Peace Hotel is the last Hong Kong movie Chow Yun-Fat made before bouncing over to Hollywood to stomp in the footsteps of long term collaborator John Woo. His last in a long line of HK pieces, 1995`s `Woh Ping Faan Dim` (to give the movie it`s original Chinese title) would act as his last hurrah to one of the world`s leading film industries - one which turned him from TV regular to celebrated movie star overnight.


The establishment of the title is a safe haven set up by a man with a past known only as The Killer (Chow Yun-Fat). Runaways, thieves, prostitutes and a variety of general no-hopers with nowhere to go are given refuge from their enemies. Anyone is welcome, no one is ever thrown out. While The Killer will protect anyone under his wing, his reputation precedes him, as bandits and criminals know better than to cross the threshold onto the grounds of the Peace Hotel.

But it all changes when the gorgeous, yet crafty swindler Shau Siu Man (Cecilia Yip) shows up on his doorstep. Pursued by a gang of relentless outlaws baying for her blood, The Killer is given an ultimatum: Kick her out within 3 weeks, or they will enter the hotel forcefully...

This John Woo production marks it`s debut on DVD in the UK from Optimum Releasing`s all things Eastern sub-label, Optimum Asia.

Video

Peace Hotel is given a nice 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. The colour palette is straight out of a more traditional western - dusty grey and brown hues, with a touch of sepia here and there, particularly within the sludgy interiors of the hotel itself.

There`s very little grain on show; a little shows up in some of the brighter outdoor scenes, but you`ll be hard pressed to notice. Really, you will.

Audio

A disappointing stereo 2.0 audio track in Cantonese. Not disappointing in that there`s anything wrong with it - in fact, the stereo sorting is fine, with dialogue crisp and clear, good separation and punchy effects. But there have been native Hong Kong releases with both Dobly Digital and DTS 5.1 mixes.

The musical score is respectable, if a little flat at times. A bizarre mix of conventional strings and pipes and what sounds like... drum machines. There is a main theme flowing throughout, which softens during the tender and gentle scenes, but picks up an almost synthesiser-like beat during the action and tense moments.

The subtitles on the disc are not burned in, but neither are they optional. Instead, the disc appears to auto-select them during viewing, meaning those of you fluent in Cantonese will have to suffer the, albeit easy on the eye, captions.

You may also grow to love the numerous showing of the words `arse` and `bloody` (in the adverb sense) within the subs. There`s nothing like the word `arse` for a little 1930`s Chinese authenticity.

Features

Nothing! They treat us with disdain! Heads must roll at Optimum! Where`s the interview with Chow Yun-Fat on his feelings about making his last Hong Kong movie? Where`s the compare and contrast on the influences both from home and from the very foreign western genre? Where`s the footage of Cecilia Yip partially undressed?

Not to say any of this exists, but something from the archives would be nice. As it is, we have 2 options from the main menu - play the movie or scene access.

Conclusion

Peace Hotel feels every part the Eastern fable, dressed up in greasy boots and chaps, with Chow Yun-Fat once again proving he`s the quintessence of an HK star - one-part action hero, to two-part character actor. Peace Hotel, as an experience, is an enjoyable romp into a shady side of 1930`s China. The story, while only mildly original, has enough gas to keep you dangling until the credits roll, and there is a large comical vein running through the feature. While this is brought into fruition for the most part by the kooky denizens of the community the hotel has brought together, mention has to go to Cecilia Yip, playing Shau Siu Man with a hint of slapstick, which sits remarkably well within the sexy vixen character.

But there are flaws with Peace Hotel. Neither the script nor the action set the pace for the film, at times leaving it flopping in no man`s land. The dialogue is a little dry and clumsy (possibly something lost in translation) and the film is action-light until the climax, where we`re treated to a machine gun massacre and the sparkiest sword fight this side of Highlander, all in the space of 10 minutes.

John Woo`s production credit is a mystery. Although there are the familiar themes of the noble killer, redemption, brotherhood and loyalty, the action direction lacks any sort of verve. Weapons slice and dice, bodies flip and flail, but it all feels a little empty. His influence as one of the top action directors in the world should be visible. It simply isn`t.

That being said, Peace Hotel is an enjoyable sliver of East-meets-West. There`s little of the depth or pathos of some of the action-orientated flicks in the HK catalogue, but it`s all very watchable stuff.

It`s a shame there`s not more to this DVD then. A few extras and a beefed up audio track could have gone a long way. As it is, Peace Hotel is best recommended for fans who like more than action from their HK cinema.