Guest House Paradiso (1999, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Bill Nighy, Kate Ashfield, Steven O’Donnell, Fenella Fielding, Vincent Cassel, Simon Pegg) – Classic Movie Review 7518

Director Adrian Edmondson’s debut feature, the appalling Guest House Paradiso (1999), is a nasty, witless, incredibly vulgar British slapstick black comedy that wastes so much top Nineties talent as well as the audience’s time and money.

Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson have only themselves to blame. They wrote it and star in it as Richie Twat and Eddie Elizabeth Ndingombaba, a couple of unpleasant losers who run Guest House Paradiso, the worst hotel in the UK. It is like Fawlty Towers without the wit, humour, talent and sense of fun.

This is rude and rough British comedy at its worst. Class acts like Bill Nighy as Mr Johnson, Kate Ashfield as Ms Hardy, Steven O’Donnell as Chef Lardy Barsto, Fenella Fielding (as Mrs Foxfur), Vincent Cassel as Gino Giuseppe Bolognese, Hélène Mahieu as Gina Tortellini Carbonara, Simon Pegg as Mr Nice, Lisa Palfrey as Mrs Nice, James D’Arcy as Newly Wedded Husband and Kate Loustau as Newly Wedded Wife are all thrown to the wolves.

Mayall and Edmondson play characters with the same personalities as their counterparts in their mysteriously popular comedy TV series Bottom. The film was made at Ealing Studios and on location on the Isle of Wight. The old Ealing Studios boss Michael Balcon must be turning over in his grave. Mayall and Edmondson have finally reached rock bottom.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7518

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