This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Members Only
Plot Overview
A masked robber (Sterling K. Brown), his
younger bro (Brian Tyree Henry), and a third loser flee a botched bank
robbery only to run afoul of the police during a major L.A. riot. Wounded they call the Hotel Artemis to prepare
their reception. “I've got two beds left,” the wizened nurse
(Jodie Foster) tells them. Playing, “California
Dreaming” she preps for their admission. They arrive at the place on
Olympus St. & it's “Showtime.”
“Verify your memberships and we're off to the races,” the nurse tells them. An aptly named “professional health care provider” Everest (Dave Bautista) escorts the non-member back outside. The first two are given pseudonyms—Waikiki & Honolulu respectively—, swift medical care, and room assignments. There's a list of rules:
- No killing other patients
- No guns
- No insulting staff
- No cops
- No guests
The Clearwater Company shuts down the L.A. water supply increasing the riot. Big crime boss Franklin (Jeff Goldblum), aka the Wolf King, being injured phones to say he is on his way. He is not a member, but he owns Artemis. Patient Nice [pronounced like the city in France] (Sofia Boutella) is planning the assassination of an important person. Unsavory arms dealer Acapulco (Charlie Day) hits on Nice while he awaits a helicopter to take him away. Morgan an injured cop (Jenny Slate) lies prostrate in the street outside begging her friend Mrs. Thomas the Nurse to let her in even though that would be against the rules. The Nurse daydreams of her deceased son. Other ingredients get added to the plot as the pot comes to a boil.
Ideology
(Hotel) Artemis on Olympus St. in L.A.—Los Angeles means ‘the angels’—corresponds to the Greek moon goddess Artemis on Mt. Olympus, cf Everest, which goddess was known by the Romans as Diana. The L.A. riot over the water failure evokes images of the brouhaha in Acts 19:24-27 over the lost revenue when “the great goddess Diana should be despised” and idol makers lose their income. The result was, (Acts 19:28-31) “the whole city was filled with confusion” and Paul had to lay low. This was an ongoing riot (Acts 19:32-34.) However, (Acts 19:35-38) Paul was not a “robber of churches” as were our three criminals in this movie robbers of banks.
The Hotel's 2028 medical juju, i.e. 3D organ printing, nanobot medicine, looked pretty magical to our 2018 eyes. Paul's “special miracles” in Acts 19:11-12 would have seemed equally impressive.
There was a lot of traveling and intended travel in our movie. Paul (Acts 19:21) “purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia —” as he wrote to the Corinthians, (1Cor. 16:5) “I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia.” This latter epistle has sparked controversy when Paul wrote that it was okay for a Christian to be married to a non-Christian (1Cor. 7:12-15) whether it happens now or later, (1Cor. 3:21-22) “For all things are yours; Whether … the world, … or things present, or things to come; all are your's.” Then in a later epistle he wrote, (2Cor. 6:14) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: ...” This has caused an ethical dilemma as we are told that an individual Christian may be obedient married to a nonbeliever, but as a church—note the plural ye in the command—we are not supposed to be yoked together with unbelievers. In “Hotel Artemis” there was the same ethical dilemma where the hotel was not supposed to admit cops, period—it just wouldn't work—but as an individual the nurse Mrs. Thomas wanted to treat her friend as a friend, not as a cop.
HA seems to take its solution as if from John Stuart Mill's essay On liberty: recommending “liberty of tastes and pursuits; of framing the plan of our life to suit our own character; of doing as we like, subject to such consequences as may follow; without impediment from our fellow-creatures, so long as what we do does not harm them, even though they should think our conduct foolish, perverse, or wrong” (114). If one substitutes for, “so long as what we do does not harm them,” a proviso that a Christian operate “only in the Lord” (1Cor. 7:39), we'd have roughly the same deal for a Christian's liberty to marry whomever he chooses, even a nonbeliever.
Production Values
This medical thriller, “” was written and directed by Drew Pearce. It stars Jodie Foster, Sofia Boutella, and Dave Bautista. Jodie Foster shines in her nurse role having aged well as an actress, not having to rely on beauty to get by. The sci-fi looks credible for ten years in the future. The mobs are scary enough though mostly in the distance. The sets have a certain elegance to them. As a thriller it won't match a “Hannibal,” of course, but it will keep you alert.
MPAA rated it R for violence and language throughout, some sexual references, and brief drug use. The lighting was so dark, to fit the mood, that I could barely see to take notes. It kind of goes by fits and starts and what surprises there are aren't revolutionary. Just a bunch of people toughing it out.
Review Conclusion w/ Christian Recommendation
This one pretty much delivers but won't exceed expectations. I liked seeing Jodie Foster in a nurturing role. At 1½ hours it's not long enough to bore one even if he prefers more excitement than the sporadic fare this one offers. I liked it, but I'm easy to please. It pretty much is what it is.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Well done action flick Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age Special effects: Well done special effects Video Occasion: Fit For a Friday Evening Suspense: A few suspenseful moments Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
Works Cited
Scripture quoted from the King James Version. Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.
Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty. From David Ignatius, The Director. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2014. Print.
bibles.n7nz.org