Review of The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) by Omar K — 17 Jul 2015

In the present day a girl reads a book. In 1985 the author narrates his tale of his visit to a hotel in 1968, meeting the owner who tells him a story of the hotelâ??s heyday in 1932 and back again like a cycle to the present day. Wes Andersonâ??s The Grand Budapest Hotel retains a narrative structure, which represents the story as a history that should be preserved and remembered.

Zubrowka, a fictional country on the verge of war, sets the scene for The Grand Budapest Hotel. However, this is not a film about war, merely a film that is set amongst the backdrop of an impending war. You instead follow Ralph Fiennesâ?? concierge Monsieur Gustave H. and Tony Revoloriâ??s young lobby boy Zero Moustafa on a journey to prove Gustaveâ??s innocence after he is framed for murder. Their comedic relationship keeps you from thinking what hazardous situations they are always in. Thus, this flick is perhaps a study in the escapism of war perils.

I think it is safe to say that Fiennes steals the show with a performance that deserves at the middling least an Oscar nomination. At first he is extremely alienatingâ?¦ to Zero! To the viewers he is bluntly hilarious and from the moment you see him you treasure each scene he is in because he is plain and simple marvellous. With his swift conveyance of speech and dry humour, Fiennes has brought to life a character that for all his emptiness in life can still bring joy and excitement to others. Yes he does have some peculiar traits such as satisfying elderly pensioners, but that is an attribute that makes him unalike anyone else we have seen before. It almost makes you want to work for Gustave in war-torn Zubrowka.

Revolori is excellent as Zero; his innocence and growth as a character is convincing to the point where you would have expected him to turn out like F. Murray Abrahamâ??s older Zero. His lower rank and admiration for Gustave allows you to indulge more in Fiennesâ?? performance. The moments where Zero is equal to Gustave as friends are moments where Gustave will remain an enduring cinematic figure because for all his dryness he still has good intentions and does care for his friend. Every scene between Gustave and Zero is special; whether it is Gustaveâ??s protection of Zero on the train, making him his heir to his fortune or Zeroâ??s assistance during Gustaveâ??s prison escape. We see them at first differently because of their status on the hierarchy but at the end this status is blurred, as they are now first and foremost friends.

Both characters stand out the most amidst a huge ensemble cast of Tilda Swinton as the elderly lover of Gustave, Brody as Swintonâ??s son and Gustaveâ??s nemesis, Norton as the peace-keeping Inspector Henckels, Saoirse Ronan as Zeroâ??s lover and Willem Dafoe and Jeff Goldblum as an assassin and Swintonâ??s lawyer. Smaller roles for Jude Law, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Owen Wilson, Tom Wilkinson and Bill Murray lends the film extra grandeur and spectacle status. As if the grand hotel was not enough already! There are so many actors and different scenes that so much goes on in such a short amount of time that it really is a true feat of storytelling to tell such a history in such an intriguing, comedic manner.

Director Wes Andersonâ??s distinctive style allows you to retrieve so many meanings and interpretations from his images. The pink-layered grand hotel gives a very nostalgic feel about the proceedings and atmosphere. The bliss of the hotel during its zenith in 1932 is felt whereas the future scenes are seemingly void of happiness and excitement. This intelligent ploy undoubtedly serves to elevate Fiennesâ?? character as the centre of the film. The Grand Budapest Hotel is in abeyance, waiting for Gustave H. to return.

I would have never thought Ralph Fiennesâ?? Monsieur H. Gustave trying to clear his name amongst numerous highly stylized backdrops and a vast array of credible characters would contravene all my expectations and turn out to be the best film of 2014. Pure vintage!

â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â?? 10/10.