What a strange film Four Room is - and what an even stranger Tim Roth performance at its centre! The conceit here, then, was that four filmmakers - Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Allison Anders, and Alexandre Rockwell - would come together to make an anthology film in the spirit of, say, New York Stories (which featured segments from the likes of Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese, among others). Set in a large hotel, all four stories are connected by one "Ted the Bellhop" (Roth), who acts as a sort of method of connection between each tale. The movie is only half successful, as you could probably imagine, given that both Anders' and Rockwells' segments are downright awful. And despite apparently trying to do "something different" with the role, Roth comes across terribly; he prances around the screen, puts on a stupid voice, and generally embarrasses himself as he tries to justify his role as the main character. It doesn't work. Sure, this is the sort of movie that warrants a major case of overreacting (probably), but he seems oddly miscast and uncomfortable in the part. Not pretty. Which of Tim Roth's performances would you class as his best and worst? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
