| Hotel Splendide | |
|---|---|
Hotel Splendide promotional poster |
|
| Directed by | Terence Gross |
| Produced by | Robert Buckler Ildiko Kemeny |
| Written by | Terence Gross |
| Starring | Toni Collette Daniel Craig |
| Music by | Mark Tschanz |
| Cinematography | Gyula Pados |
| Editing by | Michael Ellis |
| Release date(s) | September 22, 2000 |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Hotel Splendide is a 2000 British independent dark comedy film, written and directed by Terence Gross and starring Toni Collette and Daniel Craig. The film appeared in a number of British and European film festivals but was not released in the US, although it did appear on cable networks on channels catering to Independent film. It is currently available in the UK on DVD.
The film tells the story of the Blanche family who run a dark and dismal health resort on a remote island which is only accessible by ferry. The spa program consists of feeding the guests seaweed and eel-based meals, then administering liberal colonic irrigation. The spa is run by the family matriarch Dame Blanche until her death, after which chef Kath (Collette) returns to take over operation.
The new chef, Kath, brings revolution in the form of cakes and other delights. The guests begin to suspect that the owners of the hotel are engaged in hiding various secrets, and layers of mystery unfold, as they struggle with the conflict between obedience to tradition and the uncertainty of freedom.