Want to see Chevalier? Want to ask Natalie questions? Well it seems that if you’re in NY you will be able to do both.

The following is from RushmoreAcademy and sent in by Thierry:

Just a heads up if you haven’t seen – Apple Stores will be screening Hotel Chevalier at several of their stores this next Tuesday after hours with some very special guests.

This is on Chicago’s store website:
Special Screening: Wes Anderson’s Hotel Chevalier with Roman Coppola

Join screenwriter Roman Coppola for a special screening of Wes Anderson’s new short film Hotel Chevalier starring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman. This 12-minute short set entirely in a Paris hotel room is a prequel to Anderson’s new film The Darjeeling Limited. After the screening, Roman will take questions from the audience. …

This is on New York’s store website:

Special Screening: Wes Anderson’s Hotel Chevalier with Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, and Natalie Portman

Join Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, and Natalie Portman for a special screening of Anderson’s new short film Hotel Chevalier starring Schwartzman and Natalie Portman. This 12-minute short set entirely in a Paris hotel room is a prequel to Anderson’s new film The Darjeeling Limited. After the screening, Wes, Jason, and Natalie will take questions from the audience. …

Alright, I’m counting on some of you guys being there to represent. Do us proud!

While we’re talking about Hotel Chevalier, Dave Poland has posted a little write up of the short:

I will get into The Darjeeling Limited a little later, but…

Perhaps the most reportable part of the film was the little 5 minute (roughly) pre-film film that Wes Anderson did with Jason Schwartzman that was shown last night at the Fox lot screening of the film… and is not expected to be a part of the theatrical release of the film.

The short takes place just before the brothers get on the train and features on of Schwartzman’s Jack’s ex-girlfriends… played by Natalie Portman. Yes, internet geeks, another Natalie Portman scene involving sex, a naked Portman, and no frontal nudity.

But it is actually quite compelling… almost as though Anderson is painting Portman, as so many artists seem to want to do. You have Mike Nichols view of her, The Wachowski view of her, Wong Kar Wai’s view of her, etc. And the way Anderson uses her here is particularly painter-like… quite compelling… quite beautiful… quite sexy… but not about the personal bits.

Ironically, this is the part of the film that the internet will most desire… and will probably have to wait for DVD to see… unless Searchlight is cleverly going to let this segment loose on the web… where it will serve as a rather approproiate preview of the bigger film.

What wasn’t compelling, by the way, is that the short was played as though it was the feature and we were “treated” to a 10 minute break afterwards before the main film began. That felt rather pretentious. But the model for this – which may or may not be in Anderson’s lexicon – is Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life which had a short before the film which eventually invaded the feature a little over an hour into the movie.

Either way, nice to see anyone pushing the form in the mainstream.

Finally, Pasha has added an impressive new old Goya photo (thanks to Titooy) and some more pics to the hand holding gallery.