The Grand Budapest Hotel

9

NeoPincushionMar 24, 2014

This movie was near perfect for what it was. It was funny when it needed to be and serious when it needed to be. The set design was a work of art in itself. On top of that, the characters, plot, and presentation were more than enough to keepThis movie was near perfect for what it was. It was funny when it needed to be and serious when it needed to be. The set design was a work of art in itself. On top of that, the characters, plot, and presentation were more than enough to keep any viewer interested throughout the entire film. The only flaw I found was that they didn't develop some of the minor characters quite enough, making the story hard to follow at on instance. This is such a minor flaw, as that line of the film contributed nothing to the overall story. In the end, definitely worth you going to see.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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6

NightReviewsMar 23, 2014

“You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughter house that was once known as humanity”. If there was ever a quote to sum up the films of Wes Anderson, this would be high on the list. Highly inventive,“You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughter house that was once known as humanity”. If there was ever a quote to sum up the films of Wes Anderson, this would be high on the list. Highly inventive, absurd, and at times, narratively incoherent, Anderson’s eighth feature film is a grand, accommodating feature whose self is probably not as grand as the cast it has rounded out.

From Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Kietel, Bob Balaban, Saoirse Ronan, Lea Seydoux, to regulars Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and of course Bill Muarry, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a formidably full house of A-list actors who happily lend their skills to the highly inventive and immensely visual Anderson. Aside from the wholly impressive cast, is the quirky and unmistakably unique vision of Anderson himself.

If you haven’t been fortunate enough to experience a Wes Anderson film yet, you are surely missing out on one of the most elaborate, detailed, and symmetrical styles of film-making ever known. Anderson’s style, renown and admired by many, may very well be the American indie art-house King and The Grand Budapest Hotel may very well be his grandest and most admirable spectacle yet–although it may not be his most engaging or beloved.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is an empirical picture, in every sense of the word. Throughout his career as a writer/director, Anderson has defined and refined his vision to the point that every heist; every adventure; or every group of individuals, can easily be distinguishable, as if their existence could only be understood within an Anderson film. The essence of the characters within The Grand Budapest, as well as his overall vision, is creatively maintained thanks to the purity of the scenarios and wackiness of the characters Anderson houses, in whatever setting it may be. For decades now, Anderson has bequeathed to film-lovers everywhere and audiences’ alike, a signature style unlike any other.

There are countless films where the characters have come secondary only to the immense and elaborate setting they are placed in. For example, in many films urban settings; New York City has played a pivotal role (see: Shame and Annie Hall), The Wild West (see: The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Unforgiven), and exotic locales within Europe set the landscape for timeless stories of intrigue, lust, love and tragedy (see: Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Bicycle Thief.). In Anderson’s world, although many of his settings are within the very real world we live in today, sublets of his world are envisioned within our world, and in essence, these locales become the greatest character of them all, housing very small, intricate tales of the people whose stories are shared in its presence. The setting this time, is none other than the Grand Budapest. A hotel, that houses the highly empathetic new lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori) and his journey to becoming the irreplaceable sidekick to the one and only infamous concierge M. Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes). Among the many other patrons of the hotel and each of their individual secrets, tall tales, and life memories, Anderson centres the film around a priceless painting, now put in the hands of Gustave thanks to death of M. Gustave’s latest deceased romance, the mysteriously elder Madame D (an unrecognizable Tilda Swinton). What transpires, is an array of fantastical plot schemes and recanted storytelling that may only make sense when mentioning the name of Wes Anderson.

Like any other Anderson film, the stories are only secondary to their execution. Anderson’s films are the closet things to mathematical proofs, where the process of plot-making comes first before the final, usually predictable and happy outcome. Anderson may have come off one of his most cherished screenplays with his last film Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel may in no way trump it, but thankfully, it never tries. Instead, after exploring the unfathomable bond between young lovers, Anderson penetrates deep and long the affections of friendship and the importance of patronage within the industry of service and hospitality. Surprisingly this is a theme that he has yet to encounter, especially after his beloved muse and frequent collaborator Kumar Pallana passed and served as nothing less than a staple to the Anderson cannon. Think of The Grand Budapest Hotel as a large and completely dysfunctional family taking care of you, much like Anderson’s earlier work The Royal Tenenbaums, only this time, imagine them slotted at the other end of a hotel reception desk.… Expand

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8

Compi24Mar 22, 2014

Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is a riotously funny and shockingly poignant opus with brilliant camerawork, satisfyingly characteristic production design, and some really adorable performances.

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10

blindboyMar 22, 2014

This film between symmetry, beautiful lines, and themes of love, loyalty and what defines true character was masterfully concieved and excecuted, a truly excellent experience.

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5

patrickpotterMar 21, 2014

There is a difference between having a style, and copying the style of The Royal Tenenbaums. Unfortunately this film is more of a copy, filled with cameos and fake characters. I almost wouldn't have been surprised to see a muppet to pop up atThere is a difference between having a style, and copying the style of The Royal Tenenbaums. Unfortunately this film is more of a copy, filled with cameos and fake characters. I almost wouldn't have been surprised to see a muppet to pop up at one point. The best Anderson films are the creative, inspired ones with characters you care about, which is basically all of them up until The Grand Budapest Hotel.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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5

charlieburyMar 20, 2014

You can either love or hate Wes Anderson, or you can love and hate him at the same time. Unfortunately, The Grand Budapest Hotel has torn me apart. It is undeniably perfect Anderson: obsessive and strict design, colour palettes, composition,You can either love or hate Wes Anderson, or you can love and hate him at the same time. Unfortunately, The Grand Budapest Hotel has torn me apart. It is undeniably perfect Anderson: obsessive and strict design, colour palettes, composition, framing and blocking. However, it is essentially missing something; my emotions traversed from sheer boredom to stifled laughter to disorderly admiration. My conclusion is that Anderson has become too overworked; I dislike him for this, yet at the same time a part of me admires the man for his precise ingenious.

The film starts and immediately you taste Anderson’s stop-motion style with precise camera panning and boxed framing. The film then jumps through three prologues of time, with the familiar Anderson narration and expose of shots, until we land ourselves at The Grand Budapest Hotel between the wars in a fictional state of Europe. What follows is a story of chapters with crimes, chases, mischief, rivalry, envy and even slapstick comedy. It is all tightly wound and then released like a chasm, the chapters seem somewhat disjointed, the acts become emotionally sterile and ultimately there isn’t a chance for the story to coerce.

We are presented with the same Anderson, but also a new Anderson. He presses on his comedic roots and concentrates on the physicality of funny. M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) is the prime consent for this, and Fiennes is brilliantly on key creating a few treasurable notes of laughter. On occasion, this isn’t just through material act, but also sharp, witty and almost obscene dialogue. In one scene, he utters to the new lobby boy (whose elder self is predominantly narrating the story – F. Murray Abraham). “When you’re young it’s all fillet steak, but as you get older, you have to move onto the cheaper cuts.” If you like Anderson for his melancholic charm and grounded representations of struggling individuals in a fantastical yet realistic world (think Moonrise Kingdom and The Royal Tenenbaums), then don’t have high expectations for this, you won’t get what you came for.

This film is being highly applauded (a reason for my great expectations), yet for all the same reasons, the obvious stylistic reasons. I haven’t seen a single review commenting on how they related to the story on a personal or cultivating note. Are we focusing on a cinematic story here, or what appears to be a theatrical and all-too whimsically clever telling of one?

Lastly, I will mention what is palpable and largely unsettling: the ensemble cast of great name actors all battling for a screen spot. A great cast list can give a film much admirable credit, however Anderson has gone a bit overboard here, with Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson popping up for five or so minutes, the story becomes even more fictitious and preposterous. I won’t list the rest of the cast, simply search it on IMDB or watch the film, but it is certainly remarkable yet somewhat heedless.

It was a muddled evening, and to be honest I am still rather mystified amidst my contemplations on the film. Frankly, I was disappointed and the film is no more than what Anderson’s lavish style makes it. One might say you are better off trying to watch it inside out.… Expand

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3

LowbrowCinemaMar 18, 2014

Wes Anderson has great style and wit but THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is one more effort from Anderson that is totally satisfied with being nothing more than cute. The film looks great, quite amazing in fact, but really is this trite exerciseWes Anderson has great style and wit but THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is one more effort from Anderson that is totally satisfied with being nothing more than cute. The film looks great, quite amazing in fact, but really is this trite exercise all that this talented filmmaker and cast can really accomplish? A little soul, na inkling of depth or insight would be nice. Ralph Fiennes totally scores though in a wonderful central role. But once he leaves the screen, I just got bored.… Expand

6 of 12 users found this helpful66

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9

MovieGuysMar 16, 2014

With its star-studded cast, beautiful scenery, and fast-moving plot, The Grand Budapest Hotel hits all the right notes, and is one of Anderson's best films.

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9

GinaKMar 16, 2014

I gave up on Wes Anderson a few years ago since I thought he had become too self-absorbed and not funny, so this film was a complete surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was constantly inventive, delightful visually, and often laugh-out-loudI gave up on Wes Anderson a few years ago since I thought he had become too self-absorbed and not funny, so this film was a complete surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was constantly inventive, delightful visually, and often laugh-out-loud funny. And the parade of excellent acting was amazing -- everyone had a fun character to play and everyone played his part to the hilt, yet knew just how far to go. Actually I wished some of the actors who made such a great impression in a few seconds had more to do. My only criticism is that I thought the final chase went on too long and the film lagged a bit, and I think it was because Anderson did not quite catch the tone he was looking for, but after such a fun film (for a change), I was willing to forgive him a slight misstep. Ralph Fiennes was wonderful -- could anyone else today play this role with just the right mix of gravity and lightness? The actor who played Zero was wonderful too. Will anyone remember this terrific film next year when the Academy Awards come around? Best comedy I've seen since Mel Brooks' The Producers -- that's how long it's been since I have seen a really good comedy.… Expand

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7

foxgroveMar 12, 2014

Hallelujah! I have finally seen a Wes Anderson film that I like. The mind bogglingly clever screenplay tips its hat to past eras of film making, but is very much a piece of writing that has Anderson's signature all over it. This, for once,Hallelujah! I have finally seen a Wes Anderson film that I like. The mind bogglingly clever screenplay tips its hat to past eras of film making, but is very much a piece of writing that has Anderson's signature all over it. This, for once, is a good thing. The design of the film, as in a lot of Anderson's work, is just beautiful and many effects are visually striking. A positive roster of character actors contribute to the fun (Saoirse Ronan's lack lustre turn aside) with Tllda Swinton and Willem Dafoe standing out. Everything is elevated, however, by the absolutely brilliant performance of Ralph Fiennes which is second only to his Amon Goeth in Schindler's List. I may still have reservations about Anderson and to a lesser extent this film, but if Fiennes isn't nominated for an Oscar next year for this deliciously sublime portrayal then that will be more of a farce than the film itself.… Expand

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9

PsyfuzzMar 11, 2014

Anderson's found his rhythm in film making, his previous faults - weak pacing, mirky story telling, cold characters - have faded with each film and TGDH signals his finest, tightest and strongest feature yet. Strong, funny and charming - aAnderson's found his rhythm in film making, his previous faults - weak pacing, mirky story telling, cold characters - have faded with each film and TGDH signals his finest, tightest and strongest feature yet. Strong, funny and charming - a brilliant film.… Expand

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10

RedOwlReviewsMar 9, 2014

If at any point you ever doubted director/writer Wes Anderson’s visual poetic skill, The Grand Budapest Hotel should slap some sense right back into you. Anderson’s newest film is as absurdist as it is serious, as artistic as it is comical,If at any point you ever doubted director/writer Wes Anderson’s visual poetic skill, The Grand Budapest Hotel should slap some sense right back into you. Anderson’s newest film is as absurdist as it is serious, as artistic as it is comical, and as real as it is unreal. Instead of using the illusion of film to emulate realistic circumstances, Anderson uses reality to write poetry and turn it into something of a fantasy, a stylish nursery rhyme for adults. His efforts are beyond respectable – even beyond laudable – and although it’s early to say, I doubt any comedy this year will usurp Anderson’s throne.
Some may argue that Anderson’s cinematographic style – ridiculously symmetric frames, angular pans, and a severely limited color palate, for starters – has become more of a shtick by now, a self-mockery of sorts. However, The Grand Budapest retorts that Anderson is not banking on these techniques to carry his film. Rather, they have become the backdrop to his stage, his hour-and-thirty-minute signature all over the film. Looking beyond that, the viewer discovers how much Anderson has truly matured in his narrative, writing, and directing skills. Behind the Anderson façade is a truly significant and beautifully crafted film, rife with guiltless humor, dramatic progression, and plenty of gasp-inducing moments (some from sheer admiration, and some from severed fingers).
With The Grand Budapest, Anderson is not looking to write a film; he wants to tell a story. Principally evident in the multilayered frame narrative, he wants the audience to feel like they’re being told a story passed down among generations, re-imagined in fanciful colors and whimsical set pieces. The structure and timing of the storyline is absolutely flawless – the film never skips a beat. Neither over-edited nor under-edited, the story expresses capricious originality while maintaining gravity and poise. Like many of Anderson’s films, the writing is laced with subtle sociopolitical themes – however, with the turmoil of war and aristocratic corruption running concurrently with the plot, these themes tend to remain in the foreground of the narrative. Which isn’t a problem, because instead of detracting from the film’s hilarity, they instead add to its reputation.
The Grand Budapest is gifted with a strong cast, lead by an impeccable performance from Ralph Fiennes. You would not have instantly pictured Fiennes as the ideal actor to play M. Gustave, the charming, fruity, and unashamedly frank concierge of the legendary Grand Budapest Hotel. However, once you see him in his prime, you can’t imagine anyone else better suited for the role. Just about everyone in the Anderson ensemble makes an appearance, Tony Revolori makes a stellar big-screen debut as the wide-eyed lobby boy/companion to M. Gustave, and Willem Dafoe plays an uproariously threatening and stylishly scary assassin, just to name some standouts. Anderson proves, for the umpteenth time, he is just as great a director as he is a writer, orchestrating many of the action/chase scenes with skillful awareness and a definite vision. Barney Pilling and Anderson work together to produce arguably the most appropriate editing I’ve ever seen in an Anderson film. The quick, sharp, and angular cuts sustain the storytelling vibe while preventing the boisterous colors and set pieces from becoming a strain on the eyes. In summary, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a powerfully designed, painstakingly acute, drop-dead fashionable, and laudably jocular comedy-drama that represents Wes Anderson’s skill set in his prime. We can only hope that he continues to create films that shine with such ingenuity and technical finesse.

FINAL SCORE: 95 (almost perfect ----------o---------- perfect)… Expand

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10

ThegodfathersonMar 8, 2014

All of which combines to make what feels like Wes Anderson’s most heartfelt film thus far. One that effortlessly straddles genres and works as both a nostalgic paean to a more innocent time and an examination of the very nature ofAll of which combines to make what feels like Wes Anderson’s most heartfelt film thus far. One that effortlessly straddles genres and works as both a nostalgic paean to a more innocent time and an examination of the very nature of storytelling itself. But most of all, it’s a beautifully realised account of the friendship that once formed between a lowly lobby boy and the legendary concierge who took him under his wing. Grand Budapest Hotel finds director Wes Anderson at the top of his game, delivering what may be his best film yet.… Expand

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9

MarcDoyleMar 8, 2014

Other than Schindler's List, this is probably Ralph Fiennes' best work. He's hysterically funny, and his supporting cast is also incredibly solid. Wes Anderson has such an amazing sense of style - his shots/locations are just beautiful. FromOther than Schindler's List, this is probably Ralph Fiennes' best work. He's hysterically funny, and his supporting cast is also incredibly solid. Wes Anderson has such an amazing sense of style - his shots/locations are just beautiful. From Anderson's catalog, I would give Moonrise Kingdom a slight edge, but only slight. Definitely stay throughout the credits - the music is infectious.… Expand

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10

offshore1997Mar 8, 2014

Fantastic Mister Anderson...

Another example of pure story-telling and immersing cinematography in a great movie by Wes Anderson.
Absolute must see!

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The Grand Budapest Hotel

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