Roth did everything right-----------almost......

Rating: 5/10 (16 July 2007)

Hostel is awesome-------but why have i given it "only" 7 stars. Well,let me go into detail. The idea for Hostel(perverted people pay to torture and kill helpless victims in a giant factory)is interesting and while pessimists thought that director Eli Roth would be tamed by the studio he spares none of his actors and leads the viewer into a no holes barred violence freak out. To all those with a weak stomach or the light hearted ones-don't watch Hostel cause it gets gross and downright sadistic and violent. Roth shows everything and has some pretty evil ideas-----which obviously makes him (together with Alexandre Aja) one of the greatest hopes for genre that many already laid to rest. But what breaks the films' neck is its first hour: While Roth concludes with a very strong final and very impressive last 45 minutes the epilogue and the establishment of the characters is too flat and also quite boring. It's not as atmospheric as it could be and the dialogue fails to be memorable. Acting (except the villains) is quite low and you don't feel any sympathy for the characters. Films like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (which gets quoted in one of the final torture scenes) have shown that even young actors can be impressive and convincing. But when the normal acting stops and the main characters are nuthin more than meat that can be tortured Roth is in his element again-and the last 45 minutes are what saves "Hostel" it's 7 stars rating. "Hostel 2" got rid of all this flaws but for the horror fan the first Hostel installment is well worth the time if he can look over the weak beginning.