Hell Hotel (1957)

Another masterpiece from the father of Thai cinema. Hell Hotel starts off as a kind of episodic farcical comedy. Paradise Hotel is a little rinky-dink dump presided over by the bartender Noi and his uncle. Staying in the only room is Mr. Chana, the accountant for a large company. Parading through the hotel comes a train of singers, boxers, brass bands, convicts, and all sorts of absurdities. But when the beautiful Miss Riam arrives, claiming to be an opium dealer, things get tossed upside down. And it is not long before a group of bandits catch wind that a large sum is to be delivered at the hotel.... It would be easy to call this a Thai Key Largo, but Hell Hotel is its own beast. This is a film that is by turns charming, funny, and suspenseful, and packed with an array of quirky and crazy characters. Pestonji's style is sure to be a bit odd for many. He draws heavily from Hollywood melodrama (the bombastic tunes would make Douglas Sirk blush), but he is also patient. He tended to favor longer takes and minimal camera movement, and his films have a rather theatrical feel, but are broken up by moments of cinematic expressionism. Hell Hotel may not be as visually dazzling as his neo-noir Black Silk, but it is a more intimate and cozy flick. A shame Pestonji is still so obscure among cinephile circles.