Hotel Chevalier

Jack Whitman is lying on a bed in a Paris hotel when his phone rings, signaling an unexpected visit from a former lover. They meet in the small room and exchange guarded conversation, awkward silences, and flashes of intimacy as past grievances and current uncertainties surface. The film keeps its focus tight, revealing the shape of their relationship through gestures, lines of dialogue, and the charged silence between them, without resolving whether they will reconcile or part ways. It functions as a compact character study and a mood piece, giving context to Jack's life before the events of The Darjeeling Limited.

Directed by Wes Anderson in 2007, the short film features Jason Schwartzman as Jack and Natalie Portman as his onetime partner. Its concise format and stylized visuals mark it as an Anderson piece and it serves as a prelude to Anderson's later feature, The Darjeeling Limited.

Hotel Chevalier did not have a traditional wide theatrical run and therefore did not generate prominent box office figures. Its exposure came mainly through festival screenings, online release, and association with Anderson's feature work rather than commercial ticket sales.

Among fans and critics the short has become notable for its meticulous production design, precise framing, and the way small details amplify emotional distance. It’s often referenced by people who appreciate Anderson’s visual language, and it helped establish a connective thread to characters and themes he revisited in later films.

Critical response was generally positive, reflected in a middling to favorable vote average of about 6.9 out of 10 from viewers. Reviewers tended to praise the performances and the film’s ability to create atmosphere in a brief span, while some found the story slight. Thematic concerns include lingering attachment, miscommunication in intimate relationships, and the awkward choreography of revisiting a past romance, all conveyed through careful blocking and economical dialogue.