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A mess...a movie that is difficult to review because of how banal, undergraduate and unfunny it is in its constant tryhard, lowest common denominator attempts at raising even an uncomfortable shade of a laugh from its audience.

Richie Twat, pronounced "Thwaite" (Mayall) and Eddie (Edmondson) are overseeing the management of 'Guesthouse Paradiso', a ramshackle hotel on the edge of a clifftop at the 'ass end' of Britain, conveniently located next to the local nuclear power plant. The hotel is in an absolute state of disrepair, the chef has just left after demolishing the kitchen and depleting the stock, and the guests consist of permanent resident Mrs Foxfur (Fielding), some young honeymooners and the 'Nice' family, who are on a low budget family trip to the seaside (or as Richie sees it, an opportunity to rob them blind and fill the empty hotel coffers).

Suddenly, the famous (porno) actress, Gina Carbonara (Mahieu) arrives on the run from her estranged spouse, Gino Bolognese (Cassel), who later arrives to 'win back' his love. The accidental acquisition of radioactive seafood, which is fed to the unsuspecting guests, results in a bout of illness of gargantuan 'projectile vomiting' proportions, and a favourable outcome for our heroes who are paid off by local authorities in a cover up.

'Guesthouse Paradiso' is as close to the worst movie I have seen in sometime. Its script is a tired rehash of old sight gags, slapstick physical performances and comedic ideas 'borrowed' from much better earlier British comedy. The audience is subjected to supposedly humorous brutal violence that far exceeds that seen in Mayall and Edmondson's earlier efforts in "The Young Ones"(even the intimation of attempted rape); boring, racial stereotypes; inane and distasteful dialogue; below average effects and generally unengaging performances. Even the most simple of humour has little effect and is poorly thought out - the 'Twat/Thwaite' joke being the prime example.

Are there any redeeming qualities? Fielding as Mrs Foxfur is mildly amusing, and Mahieu's lovely Sophia Loren like screen grace was pleasant to watch, accompanied by camera work mimicking the style that accompanied Loren's career.

Joseph Hughes and Jessica Mann as the 'Nice' children also do well in their small roles, probably because little is required of them. Otherwise, there is little to lift this film into the realm of desirability.

Go to your local video library and borrow "Fawlty Towers" if you want to see the real thing, or even "The Young Ones", where at least this style of humour has a wittiness and originality about it.

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originally posted: 10/19/00 17:04:09
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