Ethan Hawke directs this starving-artist mood piece set in a famous New York hotel. A loose collection of artists and lonely souls waft in and out of the Chelsea in what is more a slice-of-life mood piece than a drama. The film (shot entirely on digital video) is best recommended for those who still subscribe to the notion that all artists are emotional wrecks with substance-abuse problems and that this is somehow romantic. The characters speak in poetry as often as not. If you are of a poetic bent, you may find this quirk beautiful, but more prosaic souls will find it embarrassing at best. The cast, however, is excellent. Kris Kristofferson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rosario Dawson, Robert Sean Leonard, and Steve Zahn all do fine work, especially given the difficult dialogue and frequently inadequate natural lighting. Natasha Richardson gives a particularly memorable performance--sadly, her role is all too abbreviated. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
La Stupidité absolue!:
Heureusement je n'ai pas acheté ce DVD: Je l'ai loué au videoclub de mon quartier. Et ils faut dire que j'ai passé presque deux heures d'ennui total!!! Tout est sombre dans ce film. Je parle pas de l'histoire mais de la qualité de l'image. On essaie de distinguer les personnages, mais en vain. De temps en temps on voit une partie du mur bien illuminé et c'est tout. Les acteurs il faut les chercher dans d'autres films. Remarquez, c'est beaucoup mieux pour eux. Car jouer... more info
Ethan builds Hotel on Baltic Avenue...:
There stands a hotel. Not just your typical hotel, and definitely not a hotel that is run by the parent of the "Heiress of Fashion", but one where human culture was created. That may sound philosophical, but there was a hotel where some of the greatest minds connected together, only to witness the lost power of modern day destroy and transform this hotel into a mess. Before I give away the name, of which you probably are already aware, I must say that somebody decided it was up to themselves to cheat others... more info
Compellingly masterful rendering of A Day (or two) in the Life:
Read Alex Grayson's articulate and thoughtful review (Jan. 3, 2007) which nails it.
Apparently Chelsea Walls is not for everyone, but if you watch this movie with an open heart and mind, I promise it will provide a compelling and realistic portrait of actions, interactions and reactions so common among my fellow artists it breaks my heart. The one element I find lacking is the artist (writer) who is truly grounded --- that absence detracts only a little though from an otherwise truthful portrayal of... more info
fading, fading, gone:
This movie is great if you want to go to sleep and you ran out of boring books. Ethan Hawke leans to heavily on Kris Kristofferson's performances not to mention Jeff Tweedy's music. As a matter of fact the only gleaming light in the movie is the music. It is written interestingly enough, but the visuals look like there wasn't enough money in the budget to clean up the cheap video that it was shot on. The best way to watch this movie is in the background. You don't need the visuals, and if you dare watch... more info
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