Final Rating: 4.5/5
Back in 2019 director Kitty Green made the definitive #MeToo era film with The Assistant. It starred Julia Garner as a personal assistant to an unnamed and unseen Hollywood mega producer (a not so thinly veiled depiction of Harvey Weinstein). It took place over a single day and saw not only the mental torture this man puts directly onto his assistant but also the abuse he inflicts onto actresses. It not only highlighted what a monster this man was, but also how people trying to make a name for themselves in the industry and protect their own careers could compartmentalize this abuse of power by hiding it from the world.
Kitty Green is back with another searing indictment on the hostility that men bring into the world and the danger, both real and imagined, that women must contend with on a day to day basis. The Royal Hotel sees two young American women who have traveled abroad to Australia to have some fun and adventure. When they run out of money while on a Sydney party boat, the only last minute work opportunities available to them through an agency is working at a bar in the rural mining town where they are cautioned they must be able to handle “male attention”. Out of options and money, they have no choice but to accept.
The film reunites Julia Garner (Ozark) with Green, who plays Hanna, a woman who likes to party but certainly has an acute sense of her surroundings. She is contrasted by Liv, played by Jessica Henwick (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, The Matrix Resurrections) who instantly gets along with everyone she meets and doesn’t mind being a bit of a flirt. Liv is totally game to travel to the middle of nowhere, especially if there is a chance to see kangaroos.
When the two backpackers arrive at the titular Royal Hotel, which is nothing more than a completely run down dive bar with a small apartment on the upper floor for women on a tourist visa to stay at while working. The place is owned and operated by Billy and Carol, Hugo Weaving and Ursula Yovich, who sleep in a caravan across the road from the bar. Carol stays in the kitchen and cooks while Billy oversees his business from a barstool drinking more than his patrons do.
Very quickly you learn that The Royal Hotel is not a safe space for women as the patrons introduce themselves with crude sexual jokes, insults and the threats of physical and sexual violence aren’t exactly subtle. Hanna is convinced by Liv to stick it out and make some easy money and that the customers aren’t as bad as their manners suggest. After getting off on a bad start, Matty (Toby Wallace), a regular who tries to order a “Dickens Cider”, is more gentlemanly when sober and invites the girls to explore the area by bringing them to a swimming hole.
Billy and Carol try to control the customers, but Carol knows better than to put herself in harm’s way so she stays behind the scenes and Billy can only do so much when he’s either piss drunk or when he bans one of the regulars for crashing his car he knows that it will be ineffective. Sure enough a few days later the banned customer is there in the bar.
Kitty Green followed up The Assistant with another film that deals with the realities women face in the world. Constant fear, having to micro analyze every situation and be on the constant lookout for unexpected dangers. Hanna has her guard up at all times and needs to also be on the lookout on Liv’s behalf since Liv is far more oblivious of the men. Rarely do situations get to the point of no return, but that doesn’t matter when you know any interaction could turn on a dime. The film has a surprising amount of humour considering the content and Green’s previous film, but most of the laughs are awkward and a way to release pressure from the valve rather than out and out comedic moments.
Garner continues to shine as a perfect vessel for Green’s work encapsulating the reason why women can’t just be themselves and are told to “smile more” by people who don’t want to acknowledge their accessory to a sexist world. It’s great seeing Hugo Weaving in a slovenly role that forces him to both be a protector and someone who allows a toxic establishment to flourish. The film ends with the emotional catharsis that will make the movie a crowd pleaser, much more so than The Assistant, which left viewers feeling uneasy with the ethical decisions needing to be made. The Royal Hotel is not a movie for the faint of heart, but one is a must watch to understand the reality that women experience.
The Royal Hotel was seen at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Thank you to the festival for media access.
Comments
Comments are closed.