Wes Anderson is one of the most unique, creative, stylish, and celebrated directors to emerge in the film industry over the past twenty years. While many of his films have not been huge commercial successes, his movies such as "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," and "Moonrise Kingdom" have received wide critical acclaim and earned him three Oscar nominations; on top of all that, he's one of my personal favorite directors. His style is unique to him; the way he shoots his movie is like no other director I've ever seen. If you’re familiar with even one or two of his films, you can recognize one of his movies instantly even if you don't know ahead of time it's by him. A lot of people say that if you like Wes Anderson, you're a hipster and kind of an asshole; but as far as I'm concerned, he's one of the most talented directors in the game right now. And "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is one of his finest films.
The movie takes place in about four different time periods, but the majority of the story takes place in the 1930s. The film revolves around the head concierge of a hotel, M. Gustav H., and the hotel's lobby boy, Zero. Gustav is a rather eccentric man who takes great pride in his hotel, and is himself the driving force behind the hotel's success. One day, he learns that an elderly woman that he had a relationship with for many years is found dead. Along with Zero, he travels to her home to pay his respects. While there he learns that the woman's lawyer is reading her will; the bulk of her estate goes to her children, but it is discovered that right before she died she made an update to her will. Her most prized possession, a priceless painting known as Boy with Apple, has been left to Gustav. Upset, the woman's on protests and says that the new amendment to the will is invalid. Believing it to be his, Gustav and Zero decide to take the painting and run. Once they arrive back at the hotel, they stash the painting and nobody is the wiser; but shortly after the police arrive to arrest Gustav for the murder of the woman. Once in prison, Gustav formulates a plan to escape along with Zero's help. So it's up to our young lobby boy to free a wrongfully accused man, and for our duo to solve the mystery of who killed the woman.
As of writing this review, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is the best movie I've seen so far this year; it’s also one of the best films of Wes Anderson's career. Anderson is one of a few directors, who are great at both writing and directing, and this is easily one of his best screenplays; I wouldn't be surprised if we see it nominated for an Oscar. The writing is very smart but at the same time manages to be very funny. Jokes come flying at you every minute, and almost every one of them hits the mark. One thing Anderson is known for is his sense of humor, which you either love or hate; it's a dry sense of humor that I find charming, but it will turn a lot of people off. Anderson is one of those directors that are known for recycling his actors; many actors in this movie have been in several of his previous ones. Every performer in this movie does a great job, but the real stand out has to be Ralph Fiennes who plays Gustav. Every other line out of his mouth is pure gold and his timing and delivery is always perfect; it's one of the best comedic performances I've seen in years. Probably the most striking aspect of any Wes Anderson film, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" included, would be the cinematography; every single shot is beautiful with the camera in the perfect position. Anderson will even use the camera to add to the humor of the scene in a way you don't see very often. If I had to point out a problem that Wes Anderson's movies have suffered from since his first movie, they come off as rather pretentious. It's hard to describe, but if you watch any of his movie you'll understand exactly what I'm saying. From start to finish, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" was an absolute treat to watch. This was a movie I was excited for ever since I saw the first trailer and it did not disappoint. While it is an artsy movie that not everyone will be able to enjoy, this is a movie I would recommend to anyone who calls themselves movie fans. Currently it's not in a lot of theaters, even after its wide release; but if it is playing near you, this is a must see.
Pros: Unique and stylish directing from Wes Anderson, fantastic screenplay with smart writing, great performances by the entire cast, extremely funny, beautiful and well planned cinematography.
Cons: Can get a little pretentious, sense of humor not for everybody.
4.5/5 Stars
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