() () () () ()
Wes Anderson
March 28, 2014
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is nothing short of a masterpiece. Somehow all the aspects of the film, if not properly put together, would create a visual catastrophe, this was quite the opposite. An adventurous, murder mystery or storybook fable could never sound so unattractive, yet this film can juggle it all. And underneath the colorful frosting is a bittersweet idea of hanging on to a world before modernization.
Set in the 1930s, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a popular ski resort which is run by Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes). Zero (Tony Revolori) is a junior lobby boy that is quick to be friends with Gustave and become his protégé. Gustave is a colorful figure who takes pride in running a very upscale establishment. He even tends to the sexual needs of elderly women who make frequent returns for his service. But when one of Gustave’s lovers dies, he receives a priceless painting titled “Boy With Apple”, along with an accusation of murder.
The use of snow globe imagery mixed with old-school charm, along with whimsical storytelling and narration (F. Murray Abraham) that makes even the horror scenes affecting, could not find a better place than in “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. And even with all the focus on appeal, the movie still didn’t forget about its characters who truly make the movie come alive. My personal favorite is Gustave himself. He takes on the role of a ludicrous gigolo and perfectionist all to keep the hotel alive, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that he would sacrifice his own life to see the establishment flourish.
The dialogue is very modern and if it weren’t for the zoetrope imagery and slapstick humor, it would be hard to believe “The Grand Budapest Hotel” was set in the early 20th century. I have 100% faith that the cast could have executed the proper form of tongue to convince that audience that the movie took place 100 years prior, but there really is no need. And that’s what makes the film so awesome. Any sort of flaw that made it into the film, on purpose or not, has some sort of recovery and a backup for that as well. I found it unclear as to whether or not a child did some of the backdrops, or if Wes Anderson pulled an animator from South Park. Regardless, it was made up for by humorous scenes that even teased it’s own animation, but third grader or not, I hope they got a big chunk of money for their work because their paper skills will never be used outside of “The Grand Budapest Hotel”.
BelowBlue Movie Reviews 