Hotel Chevalier

No provider information available for your region. Please check back soon.

8 / 10
1 Review
Rate this movie:
8 Based on 1 Votes
  • 10
    0
  • 9
    0
  • 8
    1
  • 7
    0
  • 6
    0
  • 5
    0
  • 4
    0
  • 3
    0
  • 2
    0
  • 1
    0

Overview

In a Paris hotel room, Jack Whitman lies on a bed. His phone rings; it's a woman on her way to see him, a surprise. She arrives and the complications of their relationship emerge in bits and pieces. Will they make love? Is their relationship over? (A prequel to The Darjeeling Limited, 2007.)

Media

View all media
Fox Searchlight Presents: The Darjeeling Limited

Cast

View all cast
Actor Avatar
Jason Schwartzman
Actor Avatar
Natalie Portman
Actor Avatar
Waris Ahluwalia
Actor Avatar
Michel Castejon
Director:
Wes Anderson
Writer:
Wes Anderson
Release Date:
2007-10-26
Run Time:
13m
Genres:
Drama Romance
Keywords:
balcony depression friends girlfriend hotel room lovers paris, france short film
Financials and Popularity

Budget: Not Declared

Revenue: Not Declared

Vote Average: 6.9/10

Vote Count: 905 Votes

Movie Popularity: 2.0439

Spoken Languages: English, French

Review

View all reviews
  1. Insomniacs Reviews
    8 Based on 1 Votes
    • 10
      0
    • 9
      0
    • 8
      1
    • 7
      0
    • 6
      0
    • 5
      0
    • 4
      0
    • 3
      0
    • 2
      0
    • 1
      0

    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10 THE SUMMARY This 13-minute prologue to *The Darjeeling Limited* finds Jack Whitman (Jason Schwartzman) hiding out in a lush, yellow-hued Parisian hotel room, attempting to shut out the world. His solitude is interrupted by the arrival of a former lover (Natalie Portman), leading to a brief, tense, and deeply intimate encounter. It’s a concentrated dose of Wes Anderson’s signature style—meticulously framed, color-coordinated, and dripping with a sincere sense of melancholy. While short, it tells a full story of two people who can’t quite stay together but aren't yet ready to be apart. THE PROS The film is an absolute win for its aesthetic precision; the golden yellow palette of the Hotel Chevalier is a celebratory explosion of visual warmth that feels both cozy and suffocating. Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman have a total belter of a connection, conveying years of complicated history through nothing more than a few glances and a shared toothpick. The use of Peter Sarstedt’s "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" is a sincere masterstroke, perfectly capturing the film's "lost in Paris" vibe. It’s a sincere, bite-sized masterpiece that proves you don't need a two-hour runtime to create a lasting emotional impact. THE CONS It earns an 8/10 because, despite being a good movie, its brevity is a bit of a head-scratcher for those who want more than a vignette. It functions beautifully as a standalone piece, but some might find it a tad too "precious" or stylized if they aren't already fans of Anderson’s quirks. It misses the 9/10 status simply because it feels more like an appetizer for a larger meal rather than a full cinematic journey. It’s a sincere recommendation, but it leaves you wanting a bit more of the story that led these two to this specific room. THE VERDICT An 8/10. A good movie and a sincere recommendation for anyone who appreciates short-form storytelling and impeccable production design. It is a vault essential for Wes Anderson devotees and serves as a perfect mood-setter for the feature film that follows. Go and watch it for the bathtub scene and the sheer French elegance—it’s the business for a quick, stylish getaway. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • Self-Funded: Wes Anderson actually funded the short film entirely out of his own pocket and filmed it in just two days at the actual Hôtel Raphaël in Paris with a tiny skeleton crew.• Wardrobe Details: The signature yellow bathrobe worn by Jason Schwartzman was custom-made for the film, while the Louis Vuitton luggage set seen in the room was later reused in the desert sequences of *The Darjeeling Limited*.• Surprise Nudity: Natalie Portman’s brief nude scene was a sincere departure for the actress at the time; she later expressed some regret over it, feeling it overshadowed the delicate emotional tone of the film's narrative. THE VIBE Like a rainy afternoon in a room that costs more than your car. It smells like expensive soap, old books, and a faint hint of a cigarette that shouldn't be lit. It makes you want to pack a suitcase, move to France, and realize that you can never truly run away from yourself.

Videos

Fox Searchlight Presents: The Darjeeling Limited

Related Movies To

Hotel Chevalier

Office Romance
7 / 10
1 Review
Jackie, President and CEO of Air Cruz, runs a tight ship in her business, including a rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees. When a new sexy lawyer begins working for her, that policy becomes very tested.
Run time: 0m Tagline: It's going down. Release: 2026-06-05

Director: Ol Parker

Stars: Amy Sedaris Betty Gilpin Bradley Whitford Brett Goldstein Edward James Olmos Jennifer Lopez Jodie Whittaker Mary Wiseman Tony Hale Tony Plana

La Haine
9 / 10
1 Review
After a chaotic night of rioting in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd, wander around unoccupied waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when confronting the police.
Run time: 98m Tagline: How far you fall doesn't matter, it's how you land… Release: 1995-05-31

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz

Stars: Abdel Ahmed Ghili Héloïse Rauth Hubert Koundé Joseph Momo Laurent Labasse Olga Abrego Rywka Wajsbrot Saïd Taghmaoui Solo Vincent Cassel

Oldboy
10 / 10
1 Review
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.
Run time: 120m Tagline: 15 years of imprisonment, five days of vengeance. Release: 2003-11-21

Director: Park Chan-wook

Stars: Choi Min-sik Ji Dae-han Kang Hye-jung Kim Byeong-ok Lee Seung-shin Oh Dal-su Oh Tae-kyung Yoo Ji-tae Yoo Yeon-seok Yoon Jin-seo

Remarkably Bright Creatures
9 / 10
1 Review
Through unlikely bonds formed during night shifts at a local aquarium, Tova, an elderly widow, learns of a life-changing discovery that may bring her joy and wonder once again.
Run time: 114m Tagline: Brighter together. Release: 2026-05-07

Director: Olivia Newman

Stars: Alfred Molina Beth Grant Brandon McEwan Colm Meaney Donald Sales Joan Chen Kathy Baker Lewis Pullman Sally Field Sofia Black-D'Elia

Ghost
8 / 10
1 Review
After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.
Run time: 127m Tagline: Before Sam was murdered, he told Molly he'd love and protect her forever. Release: 1990-07-13

Director: Jerry Zucker

Stars: Armelia McQueen Demi Moore Martina Deignan Patrick Swayze Phil Leeds Rick Aviles Rick Kleber Tony Goldwyn Vincent Schiavelli Whoopi Goldberg

Reviews for

Hotel Chevalier

Comment (1)

  1. Insomniacs Reviews

    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10

    THE SUMMARY
    This 13-minute prologue to *The Darjeeling Limited* finds Jack Whitman (Jason Schwartzman) hiding out in a lush, yellow-hued Parisian hotel room, attempting to shut out the world. His solitude is interrupted by the arrival of a former lover (Natalie Portman), leading to a brief, tense, and deeply intimate encounter. It’s a concentrated dose of Wes Anderson’s signature style—meticulously framed, color-coordinated, and dripping with a sincere sense of melancholy. While short, it tells a full story of two people who can’t quite stay together but aren’t yet ready to be apart.

    THE PROS
    The film is an absolute win for its aesthetic precision; the golden yellow palette of the Hotel Chevalier is a celebratory explosion of visual warmth that feels both cozy and suffocating. Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman have a total belter of a connection, conveying years of complicated history through nothing more than a few glances and a shared toothpick. The use of Peter Sarstedt’s “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)” is a sincere masterstroke, perfectly capturing the film’s “lost in Paris” vibe. It’s a sincere, bite-sized masterpiece that proves you don’t need a two-hour runtime to create a lasting emotional impact.

    THE CONS
    It earns an 8/10 because, despite being a good movie, its brevity is a bit of a head-scratcher for those who want more than a vignette. It functions beautifully as a standalone piece, but some might find it a tad too “precious” or stylized if they aren’t already fans of Anderson’s quirks. It misses the 9/10 status simply because it feels more like an appetizer for a larger meal rather than a full cinematic journey. It’s a sincere recommendation, but it leaves you wanting a bit more of the story that led these two to this specific room.

    THE VERDICT
    An 8/10. A good movie and a sincere recommendation for anyone who appreciates short-form storytelling and impeccable production design. It is a vault essential for Wes Anderson devotees and serves as a perfect mood-setter for the feature film that follows. Go and watch it for the bathtub scene and the sheer French elegance—it’s the business for a quick, stylish getaway.

    INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
    • Self-Funded: Wes Anderson actually funded the short film entirely out of his own pocket and filmed it in just two days at the actual Hôtel Raphaël in Paris with a tiny skeleton crew.

    • Wardrobe Details: The signature yellow bathrobe worn by Jason Schwartzman was custom-made for the film, while the Louis Vuitton luggage set seen in the room was later reused in the desert sequences of *The Darjeeling Limited*.

    • Surprise Nudity: Natalie Portman’s brief nude scene was a sincere departure for the actress at the time; she later expressed some regret over it, feeling it overshadowed the delicate emotional tone of the film’s narrative.

    THE VIBE
    Like a rainy afternoon in a room that costs more than your car. It smells like expensive soap, old books, and a faint hint of a cigarette that shouldn’t be lit. It makes you want to pack a suitcase, move to France, and realize that you can never truly run away from yourself.

Leave a Review

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rating*