Where last we left Arctic Monkeys and the elusive character we’ll now just call Mark, played by, naturally, Alex Turner, was “Four Out of Five,” showcasing some of the many benefits of the hotel and casino called Tranquility Base, where taquerias on the moon are possible. The smarmy, front-of-the-house sensibilities of a man like Mark were perhaps subconsciously pulled from Terry Benedict in Ocean’s Eleven (one gets the sense that Turner just doesn’t have enough machismo to gather inspiration from Robert DeNiro’s Sam Rothstein).
The hotel seems far more approachable than the Bellagio though, with neons in green and pink establishing the 70s motif (that is, if Turner’s white leisure suit wasn’t enough to tip you off to the vibe) of the video that picks up where “Four Out of Five” left off as Turner/”Mark” warbles, “Jesus in the day spa, filling out the information form.” A shot of grandiose pink-tone curtains rising as Jesus/Alex himself preps for relaxation in said spa sets the stage for the isolated feel of the narrative.
The marquee outside promises the band, “Martini Police, 2 shows a day, 4 nights a week.” One can imagine Arctic Monkeys themselves feel that put upon with the amount of performances they’re doing in promotion of their latest album. And as Mark wanders the Tube-like passageways alone (with that creepy and ominous symbol cropping up representing the architectural design of the Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino), we also get more of a Jack Torrance portrait than we did in “Four Out of Five,” where he at least seemed to have some companionship. Again portraying two different characters as he did in “Four Out of Five” (such range! Give this man a starring role in Guy Ritchie’s next movie please), the bearded incarnation is the back-of-the-house muscle, if you will. While there are a few errant presences here and there, like the detached hand that passes the phone to Mark so that he can answer it, it seems that both Mark and bearded Alex are content to be alone with his various wired accoutrements, exclaiming, “Technological advances really bloody get me in the mood.”
So true does this appear to be, in fact, that Mark looks to be working around the clock on behalf of the hotel and casino as he answers the Batphone (the title of another track on the record) while driving to deliver the same calm assurance, “Good afternoon, Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. Mark speaking. Please, tell me, how may I direct your call?” It gets to the point where he basically mutters it to himself like Tourette’s while wandering the hotel hall in a terrycloth bathrobe.
Occasionally retreating from the premises on his won motorcycle to film horses (presumably for promos for the hotel?), Turner, like any casino and hotel manager leads a very lonely life, one that no amount of perpetual “beginner’s luck” can compensate for in terms of a genuine emotional connection. And as the breakdown of the video comes, we, speaking of Jack Torrance, revert to the Kubrickian aesthetic presented in the flickering reds and patterned The Shining floor of co-directors Ben Chappell and Aaron Brown’s prequel, in essence, “Four Out of Five.” The dystopian loneliness is augmented all the more by being set against the backdrop of a 70s-inspired past, where the Peppermill Casino in Reno–and Reno itself–serves an extra layer of that “bygone era” feel.
If nothing else, however, Mark is there to take your call when you’re feeling a bit forsaken. It’s probably more than Terry Benedict would do.
