The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - Movie Review
- Red
- Apr 16, 2023
- 3 min read
Directed by Wes Anderson
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a quirky, action-packed and extremely stylistic comedy by auteur Wes Anderson.
The movie spans across a few decades, taking us through the history of The Grand Budapest Hotel. We begin with a girl reading "The Grand Budapest Hotel" book, written in 1985. The elderly author then recounts his encounter in 1968 with former lobby boy, Ziro Mustafa. For the majority of the movie then, we watch Ziro's experience as a lobby boy under the command of legendary concierge M Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) during the early 1930s, just prior to the Second World War.
Like all Wes Anderson films, the film is far more exciting than the synopsis above sounds. Between characters getting framed for murder, escaping a prison, stealing a painting, pushing a man off a cliff and Jeff Goldblum's fingers getting severed - The Grand Budapest Hotel is an extraordinarily fast-paced and entertaining flick.
Wes Anderson is known for his use of vivid colours, symmetrical shots and matter-of-fact, dialogue which makes his films feel as though they are storybooks. This works particularly well for this film as we learn early on that the events of the film were turned into a book. Every scene is perfectly timed and choreographed and each actor is always stood in the right spot. The impeccable composition is present throughout, and the shift in colour pallet and aspect ratio between the timelines conveys the atmosphere in the hotel at the time. Some may find this distracting, but I found this roller coaster of a film to be extremely enjoyable, being both visually/aesthetically pleasing and also satisfying from a narrative and screenwriting point of view. Characters like Ralph Fiennes' M. Gustave are quippy and have lines that make the audience laugh out loud. This in part is due to Ralph Fiennes' outstanding performance, but Anderson's screenplay is undeniably superb.
Also starring in the movie are the likes of Tony Revolori, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan, Owen Wilson, Jude Law, Bill Murray and Edward Norton. Every performance is on point - it's clear that the actors are giving their all but are also having fun. Their chemistry is obvious as their lines bounce off one another very well.
The production design is sublime. Very little, if any CGI is used, opting for practical sets instead which absolutely pays off. Miniatures are used effectively and the film occasionally feels like you're watching. a live-action cartoon, in the best way possible. Fictitious country "Zubrowka" is totally believable, and there are plenty of reminders that the story is set in Eastern Europe. It's fascinating to watch Anderson's reimagining of the rise of facism and also his exploration of themes like refugees, love, and ultimately death. Anderson has a way of toying with your emotions - sucking you into the story that on one hand is upbeat and funny, but has an ending that is rather mournful.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is well-paced and hilarious. The timing and delivery of dialogue makes the dry humour land. The light moments, dark moments, humour and action are all spread throughout nicely - the tones never clash.
Anderson's eccentric style of storytelling might not be for all. The first time I watched the film, I wasn't 100% concentrating and got confused pretty quickly. Some may find the movie's intricate details and insanely large cast overwhelming - but if you pay attention and want to enjoy a unique film, like none other you've seen before, this is for you. It's eccentric, wacky and wonderful and certainly worth a watch.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is likely my favourite movie of all time, and I absolutely recommend it to anybody.
Watch The Grand Budapest Hotel on Disney Plus
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