Dir: Gastón Solnicki | Cast: Willem Dafoe, Lilly Lindner, Stephanie Argerich, Gastón Solnicki Writers: Julia Niemann, Gastón Solnicki | 78’
Those of us who know and love the mid-century charm of this famous landmark hotel will appreciate the droll tribute to the Intercontinental Vienna apparently the first luxury brand hotel in the world and the first one to have telephones in every bathroom.
Like a queen reigning proudly over its people the hotel stands majestically overlooking the Stadtpark in one of the prime positions of Austria’s glorious capital, its facade and lavish entrances bathed in morning sunlight that glints on the golden statue of Johann Strauss II playing his violin, just across Johannesgasse.
With its faithful staff on hand at all times the Intercontinental is a comfortable well-functioning establishment that refuses to succumb to contemporary makeovers: that is until Gaston Solnicki comes along to shroud the future in doubt with his dour impressionistic docudrama
Le Souffleur, named after the chef and its legendary concoction of cheese and cream, is Solnicki’s mischievous docudrama charting the hotel’s imagined demise buffeted by the chilly winds of change. But the indomitable general manager will not let this happen – Lucius – a beaming Willem Dafoe – does his daily rounds to mitigate circumstances and allay guests’ fears. At the same time his daughter Lilli, who has worked there all her life, is now desperate for pastures new. So Lucius hopes for the best and prepares for the worst: he is the beacon of hope in this otherwise mournful love letter that unfolds in the darkest time of the year.
The no-nonsense Lucius is pragmatic about the future, and so is his tailor. We watch the professional carefully taking measurements at a suit fitting, claiming Billy Wilder was his best customer. The tailor is another stalwart of this reassuringly traditional institution, turned on its head in the Argentinian director’s cryptic premise. Solnicki interleaves his outing with black and white images from the archives that only add to the film’s nostalgic allure. There are pictures of skaters swirling round an ice rink, and tables bright with sparkling crystal that now lay silent, bringing to mind the soulful images of The Shining’s infamous dining room (“you’ve always been the barman” is very much the watchword here),
And all this doom is gloom is down to Facundo Ordoñez, a rich Argentinian (played by Solnicki), who plans to buy the hotel and raze it to the ground. Lucius spars with this imposter in cordial meetings that will gradually turn sour, rather like a deflated soufflé that held so much promise. The soufflé may have had a wobbly moment, but the hotel lives on. @MeredithTaylor
NOW SCREENING AT VIENNALE 2025