When making movies out of fiction, most of the time it doesn't work, unless the original text is purely telegraphic in style. If it's good prose, it's not usually the larger actions that we see that make it good - it's something more ethereal within the style itself that give it quality. William Gibson's noir-influenced techno-satire would seem perfect for adaptation, but anyone who's suffered through (or even enjoyed) JOHNNY MNEMONIC suddenly realizes that the characters' tough-guy dialog sounds utterly preposterous when actually voiced by a human being.In NEW ROSE HOTEL, director Abel Ferrara finds the emotional heart of a very spare Gibson short (one of the best things Gibson's ever written, and blessedly short on actual dialog) and creates a recognizable near- future world and characters who seem as comfortable with this subtly accelerated reality as we of 2005 are with plasma-screen TVs and mobile phones. The structure of the film can be extremely off-putting to those without enormous patience - it's very slow-paced, and halfway through we see the almost the entire story over again, but very slightly changed. As far as I can tell, most of the scenes were shot twice from different angles. The entire point of Abel Ferrara's approach is to visually represent the phrase, "If only I knew then what I know now". NEW ROSE HOTEL really needs to be seen at least twice to be understood, and only lets go of the intelligence and daring of the direction and the performances after repeated viewings. Christopher Walken plays Christopher Walken, under the guise of the character "Fox", but I've rarely seen Walken so simultaneously comfortable and affected in any other role. Willem Dafoe has to play younger than he looks, and we get to watch his character learn what a fool he's been, writhing with embarrassed disgust and fear as he discovers that the source of his predicament is his own stupidity and sentimentality. A very young-looking Asia Argento plays Sandii with more depth than she is regularly given credit for - her style is so subtle and genuine that she hardly seems to be acting, and as far as I've seen, she isn't, but she's so sexy and vulnerable that I'm more than willing to watch.It's a shame this film is so under-appreciated; it's definitely my favorite Ferrara film, and one of my top two Christopher Walken films. And lots of Asia in her underwear - what's not to love?

New Rose Hotel (1998) was another strange film from Abel Ferrara. Instead of his usual street dramas. Ferrara expands upon the elements that he utilized whilst making BLACKOUT. A dark and moody film that was adapted from a short story that was written by William Gibson. I was surprised by how intriguing and interesting the movie was. I have heard so many negative things about this production that I was a little leery in watching it. But I was impressed by the story, acting and directing.Christopher Walken and Wilhem Dafoe are two losers who are always looking for rich people to swindle. One day they find the perfect pigeon who'll make them a lot of money. But they need a seductress. They find one in Asia Argento (who's smoking hot in this movie). During the bug hustle, Dafoe falls for her and the two make a side swindle. Unfortunately nothing is really as it seems. Instead of running off with Asia, Dafoe tries to play all sides but he winds up with nothing. Before he can split, his mentor Walken kills himself before the hit men can ice him. Dafoe realizes that he's be burned by a better con artist and flees. Hiding from everyone, Dafoe spends the rest of his pathetic life hiding out in a derelict apartment complex The New Rose Hotel where he re-lives the last month of his life over and over until he ends it all.Even though we never see what happens to Dafoe's character, one can assume what happens to him. He has nowhere to go but inside the coffin he's created. The movie is a serious character study about not knowing what you could have and how greed and stupidity make a dangerous combination. I found this movie to be very deep and moving as well. But it's not for everyone.Highly recommended.

There's something just a little different about films based on short stories. I've never been able to put my finger on it. Maybe it's the way the stories achieve such depth without giving the characters any. Some that immediately come to mind are "They Live," "Screamers," and sorta-maybe "Total Recall."Abel Ferrara is a niche director. So if you're a big Christopher Walken fan, or dig Willem Dafoe, stay away. Walken's too likeable, and his character is supposed to be slightly pathetic. So he's actually miscast, for possibly the only time in his career. Tough to say about the guy, I know, but there it is.Dafoe is just kinda there. Anyone could play his character. The film itself isn't worthy of 90 minutes; the short story it's based on ran about 13 pages. They should've stayed there. It's an interesting art flick, though. If that phrase bugs you, then again I say, stay away.Oh, and that Argento chick is indescribably hot. There's more T&A in "XXX" though, so go with your gut. 8/10.

What bothered me: 1- Needless and pointless erotic scenes in the bar. I appreciate an erotic scene if it is truly erotic, which these scenes weren't, and if it forwards the plot, which these scenes didn't. 2- The low budget. Some directors can turn a low budget into a virtue, but I'm afraid Ferrara isn't one of them. 3- Boredom. Almost nothing happens, and what does happen, happens over and over. 4- Improvisation. Some scenes seemed improvised, and while Walken is up to the task, Argento is definitely not. 5- Wasted Dafoe. A great talent is given nothing to do. 6- Too clean. The cyberpunk world should be grittier.What I liked: 1- Christopher Walken, or rather the juicy dialogue he is given. 2- Atmosphere. While I don't feel it captures the same feeling of atmosphere one gets from reading Gibson, it does create an effective environment of stress and oppression.Overall: It could have made a good short (after all, the source material is a SHORT story). As it is, it is a wasted effort and should be avoided.