Directed by Adam Bernstein and Giacomo Martelli, Hotel Costiera is a TV show with all the ambition of a midday nap. It's small, light, wafer-thin, and ultimately insubstantial. Its tagline, "Where the crimes are as stunning as the views," is definitely an overstatement. The crimes barely register, and even the landscapes feel cold and distant. The story is set at a luxury hotel (Villa Costiera), but the setting could just as easily be a green screen, and the supposed luxury lands somewhere between budget decor and borderline eyesore. Everything in the series screams forgettable; it's nearly a total washout, saved only by a few amusing performances. One of those saviors is obviously Jesse Williams as Daniel De Luca. With his hunky body, green eyes, well-trimmed beard, and short hair, Daniel walks across the screen like a confident lady magnet. He also physically dominates his opponents with ease, knocking most of them out with a single punch or slap. Daniel, though, is not a beauty without brains. He is a former Marine who now works at Villa Costiera as a fixer — a problem-solver for wealthy clients and guests.
When Hotel Costiera begins, Daniel is seen on a mission to rescue — wait for it — an adorable dog. In the second episode, he is tasked with finding a cat, and in the third, he attempts to retrieve a bracelet. These operations are as "serious" as they sound; the mission is over without breaking a sweat. The investigative work lacks intrigue, and the physical confrontations never feel dangerous. Maybe this is precisely the point: to make a light-hearted show that playfully winks at itself. However, this doesn't hide the fact that Hotel Costiera feels weightless. It's like a piece of bubble gum you chew and spit out once you're bored and it's lost its flavor. Writers Elena Bucaccio, Matthew Parkhill, and Francesco Arlanch have silly ideas meant to bring a smile to your face. This is especially clear in the scene where the real mystery behind Alice's (Amanda Campana) disappearance is revealed to the audience. However, the humor never quite bursts forth; it remains subdued and loses its impact. The directors are to blame, showing neither comic ingenuity nor a visual style to complement or enhance the material.
It's the small gestures that keep the show alive and maintain your interest. I'm talking about Tancredi's (Sam Haygarth) grand comic declarations, Sheryl's (Alejandra Onieva) sexy signals—like how she sits, crossing her legs in front of Daniel, almost like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct—and Alice's sarcastic acknowledgement, shown when she bows slightly after someone refers to her as "Princess." If anyone makes it worth checking into the titular hotel, it's these actors, who surely deserve better accommodations.
Final Score- [3/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
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Publisher at Midgard Times