“I promise, I will never be your friend. No matter what. Ever.”

Originally intended as a standalone short film, The Hotel Chevalier eventually became the prologue to Wes Anderson’s feature The Darjeeling Limited (2007). Anderson had approached Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman about the film several years prior to its production, and when he realized that Schwartzman’s character was similar to the character he would portray in the upcoming film, he merged the two stories into one. However, he remained undecided on whether the short film should be screened ahead of the feature or not.

The film itself is a succinct thirteen minutes, which only gives us a glimpse into the untold story. Peter (Schwartzman) has taken up residence in the titular hotel, and his ex-lover has tracked him down, announcing herself on the phone only half an hour before her arrival. In that time, Schwartzman cleans the room, puts on a suit, runs a bath, and presses play on his iPod. Peter Sarstedt’s ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?’ periodically plays throughout the rest of the film. Stylistically, it is vintage Wes Anderson: meticulous symmetry, carefully curated pop music, bold colors, and characters who express deep emotional wounds with comical restraint.

The film is really only one scene, and an uncomfortable one at that—the two discuss why Peter had left their relationship, and after being interrupted by room service, they start to get intimate. It is awkward; they ask each other if either of them have slept with anyone else, Peter notices anonymous bruises on her arms, and she confesses that she already knows she will regret it if they sleep together.

Many critics favored this short over its associated feature film, but my opinion is the opposite. They are vastly different narratively—the short conceals while the feature reveals, though they’re only comparable because they are of a single piece—and should be viewed accordingly.