In a way disappointing but in general aspects good

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2007)

"Hostel" came to Mexico in 2005 whit a lot of expectations because Quentin Tarantino presents the film and also because a lot of people who already see this film said that this film was the most disturbing film ever. Finally the certification in Mexico was D, just for adults; it was the first not porno film that have this certification in Mexico so i couldn't see this film in the cinema. Well first, for me this film wasn't the most violent ever and in consequence is not so disturbing as the publicity said, and of course i think that the certification was excessive. In that way i feel really disappointed when i watch "Hostel" in DVD for the first time. I mean, "Hostel" is as disturbing as the mainstream could be and even the most disturbing photo that appears in some posters and later in the DVD cover (the man with a drill in his mouth) doesn't appear in the film.
But that doesn't mean that i don't like this film, for me is very entertaining and in general aspects is good and could be better without the excessive publicity. The plot is simple but good, two young Americans and another from Iceland are on vacation in Europe, first in Amsterdam where they only want to have girls and later in Slovakia because a guy told to them that in an hostel in that city they could find the most beautiful girls in Europe. In Slovakia they are part of a business for sick people that want to kill a person. The Americans are the most expensive so the girls of the hostel help to put the Americans in that business. There are like three chapters in the film; first Amsterdam where is only parties and fun and looks as a teenage film, later Slovakia where also is some fun whit the girls but the fear and the bad feelings start to affect the character's mind and the film start getting good and finally in the factory where there's only pain.
I like the idea of Eli Roth to put this kind of original business in a film: you pay for kill a person and the prices are different according to the nationality of the person. I read once in a newspaper that the story was based on a true story of a place that Eli Roth finds in internet where yo pay for shot a unknown person. I mean that is truly scary, to know that places like this really exist.
Well the cast is just good, mostly young actors and the makeup and the visual part of the film is really well done. Also i love the cameo of Takashi Miike, even he can't speak English, he accept to participate with Eli Roth who is a fan of "Ichi the Killer".
Conclusion: thanks to an excessive publicity "Hostel" was disappointing but anyway i don't recommend this film to sensitive audiences. And for me the film is good, very entertaining and worth a look. 8.5 out of 10
DVD: great, whit a lot of comments by Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino, producers and the cast. Also whit a documentary of the make of Hostel and three different angles for the scene when the crazy children's destroy the car.