At its surface, Hotel Chevalier is a two-character play set in a single, opulent hotel room in Paris. The film stars Jason Schwartzman as Jack Whitman and Natalie Portman as his unnamed former girlfriend, credited simply as “The Girl.” The action is simple: Jack is hiding out in a luxurious suite, avoiding the world while nursing a broken heart and a self-imposed exile. Suddenly, a phone call announces a visitor. Minutes later, The Girl appears at his door, and the two dance around the wreckage of their relationship with witty, painful dialogue before ultimately sharing a physical intimacy underscored by profound sadness.
As the film reaches its climax (both emotional and literal), Peter Sarstedt’s “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?” swells on the soundtrack. It’s a song about a girl who escaped the poverty of Naples for the high life of the French Riviera—a perfect, aching metaphor for the character Portman plays. She’s a dream that walked into his sterile hotel room. Hotel Chevalier
If you'd like to explore more about , would you prefer to: See a ranking of his feature films ? At its surface, Hotel Chevalier is a two-character
To understand the significance of Hotel Chevalier , one must understand how it was released. Shot in 2006, the short film was intended to be a companion piece to Anderson’s feature film The Darjeeling Limited . It introduced the character of Jack Whitman, played by Jason Schwartzman, one of the three brothers who embark on a spiritual journey in the main feature. Minutes later, The Girl appears at his door,
Jack is a writer who has stopped writing. He has locked himself in a hotel to escape the mess he made at home. Schwartzman plays him as jittery and controlled, desperately trying to maintain a posture of indifference. He has ordered room service (a plate of shortbread, a pot of tea) and stacked his father’s old suits in the closet. He is trying on a persona of sophistication that shatters the moment The Girl arrives. His famous line, delivered after she asks if he has a girlfriend: “I’m not going to fight with you.” It’s a plea, a threat, and a confession all at once.
Hotel Chevalier