The Grand Budapest Hotel
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Typically, Wes Anderson's films are strange, quirky, poignant, & contain exaggerated characters in surreal, otherworldly settings. This year, Anderson gives us ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and, guess what, it's strange, quirky, poignant, & contains exaggerated characters in surreal settings. The movie begins in 1985 with a well-respected author (Tom Wilkinson) traveling down memory lane to 1968 when he first experienced the pleasures of staying at the fictitious Grand Budapest Hotel. In a flashback, we see his younger self (Jude Law) having dinner with enigmatic Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), who tells the fantastical story of how he came to own the Grand Budapest Hotel. We travel back to 1932 - a time btwn. WWI & WWII - where this opulent red-carpeted resort is an Alpine resort paradise.
The man in charge is M. Gustave (a superb Ralph Fiennes), the bisexual concierge who runs the hotel with excellence, exuberance, respect, honor, decorum, & acute attention to every minute detail. Gustave always speaks with authority. He has his frivolous moments when he loses his calm. But overall, he is a perfect gentleman. During this time, the future owner, young Zero (newcomer Tony Revolori) is the new 'Lobby Boy' and Gustave's apprentice. Wearing his purple outfit and cap, young Zero is ecstatic to be taken under Gustave's wings. From Gustave, he learns the secrets of catering to the needs, wishes, & desires of their rich & powerful guests. One such guest is Madame G. (Tilda Swinton), an 84 yr. old filthy rich dowager who enjoys sex with the younger Gustave.
Following her suspicious death, Gustave & Zero head to her estate where all her $$-hungry relatives have gathered to see who will receive her riches & property. Much to the horror of Madame G.'s bully son Dmitri (Adrien Brody) & his psychopathic associate/thug Jopling (Willem Dafoe), Gustave is given a valued piece of her art. Gustave & Zero immediately escape with the painting. What follows is a madcap adventure as Gustave & Zero are pursued by murderous Jopling as well as the military police led by Capt. Henckels (Edward Norton). After getting thrown in jail, it's up to Zero, his adorable fiancee Agatha (Saoirse Ronan), & Gustave's fellow inmates to help break them all out of prison. A lengthy downhill chase ensues. And everything culminates back at the now Nazi-occupied Grand Budapest.
'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is yet another wildly inventive creation by writer/director Wes Anderson. Not only are the characters a ball of fun (cameos include Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keitel, Mathieu Amalric, Bob Balaban, Owen Wilson), and not only is this film sensational to watch & listen to (inventive camerawork, picaresque locales, SUPERB sets (the hotel), splendid use of miniatures in actual outdoor wintry settings, Alexandre Desplat's ethnic musical score), but this is also a multi-dimensional film that unspools in many layers. This movie speaks of the art of living; making your own decadence & reveling in it. It imparts a fun, rambunctious meditation on the power of kindness in a cynical world. It also paints a nostalgic portrait of the glory days of old Europe in btwn. 2 horrific wars. And thanks to the framing/narrative device of various narrators taking us through the plot ... this film also pays tribute to the power of storytelling.
'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is clearly a confident, intelligent, beautiful piece of work. However, for better or worse, this film contains all the qualities that make Wes Anderson either beloved by fans or befuddled by those who find him pretentious. 'TGBH' starts with a bang. It zips by at a clip & is infused with wonderfully idiosyncratic humor. But this unconventional, melancholy comedy started to lose its grip on me a tad the more it went. The quirky scenarios began to lose a little steam. And the sad, clipped ending won’t fly with more mainstream viewers. All that said, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is endlessly interesting with style, narrative ingenuity, & contains a splendidly humorous turn by Ralph Feinnes.
The man in charge is M. Gustave (a superb Ralph Fiennes), the bisexual concierge who runs the hotel with excellence, exuberance, respect, honor, decorum, & acute attention to every minute detail. Gustave always speaks with authority. He has his frivolous moments when he loses his calm. But overall, he is a perfect gentleman. During this time, the future owner, young Zero (newcomer Tony Revolori) is the new 'Lobby Boy' and Gustave's apprentice. Wearing his purple outfit and cap, young Zero is ecstatic to be taken under Gustave's wings. From Gustave, he learns the secrets of catering to the needs, wishes, & desires of their rich & powerful guests. One such guest is Madame G. (Tilda Swinton), an 84 yr. old filthy rich dowager who enjoys sex with the younger Gustave.
Following her suspicious death, Gustave & Zero head to her estate where all her $$-hungry relatives have gathered to see who will receive her riches & property. Much to the horror of Madame G.'s bully son Dmitri (Adrien Brody) & his psychopathic associate/thug Jopling (Willem Dafoe), Gustave is given a valued piece of her art. Gustave & Zero immediately escape with the painting. What follows is a madcap adventure as Gustave & Zero are pursued by murderous Jopling as well as the military police led by Capt. Henckels (Edward Norton). After getting thrown in jail, it's up to Zero, his adorable fiancee Agatha (Saoirse Ronan), & Gustave's fellow inmates to help break them all out of prison. A lengthy downhill chase ensues. And everything culminates back at the now Nazi-occupied Grand Budapest.
'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is yet another wildly inventive creation by writer/director Wes Anderson. Not only are the characters a ball of fun (cameos include Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keitel, Mathieu Amalric, Bob Balaban, Owen Wilson), and not only is this film sensational to watch & listen to (inventive camerawork, picaresque locales, SUPERB sets (the hotel), splendid use of miniatures in actual outdoor wintry settings, Alexandre Desplat's ethnic musical score), but this is also a multi-dimensional film that unspools in many layers. This movie speaks of the art of living; making your own decadence & reveling in it. It imparts a fun, rambunctious meditation on the power of kindness in a cynical world. It also paints a nostalgic portrait of the glory days of old Europe in btwn. 2 horrific wars. And thanks to the framing/narrative device of various narrators taking us through the plot ... this film also pays tribute to the power of storytelling.
'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is clearly a confident, intelligent, beautiful piece of work. However, for better or worse, this film contains all the qualities that make Wes Anderson either beloved by fans or befuddled by those who find him pretentious. 'TGBH' starts with a bang. It zips by at a clip & is infused with wonderfully idiosyncratic humor. But this unconventional, melancholy comedy started to lose its grip on me a tad the more it went. The quirky scenarios began to lose a little steam. And the sad, clipped ending won’t fly with more mainstream viewers. All that said, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is endlessly interesting with style, narrative ingenuity, & contains a splendidly humorous turn by Ralph Feinnes.