I had read some very negative things about this movie, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not nearly as bad as I had been led to believe. Sure, there was some idiotic stuff in the film, but overall I enjoyed it. It won’t make my ten best list, but it probably won’t make my ten worst list, either.

One thing that was incomprehensible was Tim Roth’s performance. His mannerisms—prancing and swooning all over the screen, as well as his constantly changing accent—were distracting at best, and ridiculous at worst. Also, the format of forcing each director to tell his story in 20 minutes or so is a difficult one, and hampers the film somewhat—though not as much as some reviewers implied.

The film contains four vignettes, each one taking place in a different room (hence the title) in the Mon Signor Hotel on New Year’s Eve. This Hotel is a seedy joint that has seen better days, and Ted the bellhop (Roth) is the only person on duty this night.

The first story concerns a coven of witches, meeting to resurrect their lost Goddess. One witch forgets to bring an item which is necessary to complete the ritual. Ted is called upon to help provide this missing ingredient. This vignette is acceptable, but nothing great. The thing that saves it is the fact that two of the witches bare their breasts for a significant part of the story. Puerile it may be, but put a few breasts on the screen, and you’ve got my attention. I also enjoyed the lesbian undertones (again, I admit my juvenile leanings).

The second story is undoubtedly the weakest of the bunch. Besides making no sense, it isn’t really funny. It contains a male-male kiss, which had the teenage misfits behind me (male and female) making noises to indicate their disgust. Otherwise, it was completely ineffective and unremarkable. It involves a husband and wife who are apparently playing some weird (but strangely unerotic) sex game, and poor Ted gets caught in the middle.

The third story, directed by Robert Rodriguez (of El Mariachi fame), is quite good. Antonio Banderas (who had all the teenage girls in the theater gasping at his every move) plays a Gomez Addams/Mobster type. His children, though, are the focus of this story. They are told not to misbehave, but all the action and comedy in this scene comes as a result of their not listening to their father’s command. The kids accuse each other of having smelly feet, but is it their feet that smell, or something else? By the end of this chapter, total, hilarious chaos prevails.

The final segment was my favorite. It was directed by Quentin Tarantino, and stars himself and Bruce Willis. I have to admit to being a big Q.T. fan—Pulp Fiction is one of my favorite movies of all time. The group, led by movie mogul Chester Rush (Tarantino) is attempting to reenact an old Alfred Hitchcock TV episode. They need Ted’s help, and are willing to pay handsomely for it. Tarantino’s signature—most notably his dialogue—permeates this vignette. The reviews I read mostly panned this chapter, except for one other Q.T. fan, who felt as I did. It provides a good conclusion to the film.