I liked the quality of the filmmaking. Interesting shots and editing. I liked the characters, although they wandered through the story at first. It really wasn't relevant 'til we arrived at the hotel. The chronology jumped a few times early on with insert cards (X later, etc) but no card at one point where it did jump.
I sympathized with the characters but, like I said, there was no direction to the story. And then, it started to unwind at the end.
Before this, I have to say, that the geography of the film is very muddled. Are we in Los Angeles? Are we in Japan? Poor editing and clarity on that front.
***Spoilers so be warned.
The despondent hotel manager decides to fly to Japan to find the miracle memory-erasing drug. He can't get his car fixed but he can afford a last-minute airline ticket half-a-world away? And enough money to sustain him? After several days or a week (I think) the Hotel's owner wanders in and hires the Japanese guy as the manager on the spot. Nobody else was managing the place? It could have been longer 'cause the despondent manager leaves, arrives in Japan, buys a CD and mails it back to the Japanese guy in Los Angeles.
Also, I was a valet 27 years ago but would imagine that it has not changed much. But this character, working as a valet, goes on a lark and takes a fancy car off parking lot of a restaurant, drives it 20 minutes (if you're lucky) across Los Angeles, picks up his friend and returns to their apartment. As a lark. A blood vessel didn't pop in his head and he goes crazy. He just thought it would be cute to steal a car and pick up his friend. That or the valet thought he would have hours and hours and hours to do this.
I sympathized with the characters but, like I said, there was no direction to the story. And then, it started to unwind at the end.
Before this, I have to say, that the geography of the film is very muddled. Are we in Los Angeles? Are we in Japan? Poor editing and clarity on that front.
***Spoilers so be warned.
The despondent hotel manager decides to fly to Japan to find the miracle memory-erasing drug. He can't get his car fixed but he can afford a last-minute airline ticket half-a-world away? And enough money to sustain him? After several days or a week (I think) the Hotel's owner wanders in and hires the Japanese guy as the manager on the spot. Nobody else was managing the place? It could have been longer 'cause the despondent manager leaves, arrives in Japan, buys a CD and mails it back to the Japanese guy in Los Angeles.
Also, I was a valet 27 years ago but would imagine that it has not changed much. But this character, working as a valet, goes on a lark and takes a fancy car off parking lot of a restaurant, drives it 20 minutes (if you're lucky) across Los Angeles, picks up his friend and returns to their apartment. As a lark. A blood vessel didn't pop in his head and he goes crazy. He just thought it would be cute to steal a car and pick up his friend. That or the valet thought he would have hours and hours and hours to do this.