Review of The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) by Matt G — 06 Apr 2015

M. Gustave: You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity.

If you're watching a Wes Anderson film, you'll know it's him almost immediately. It's a bit difficult to explain, but his quirky style of filming and incredible artistic talent is so unique that it becomes quite clear when a movie is his. There is one big problem with this: if you don't like one of his movies, chances are you won't like any of them. When I speak to people about "The Grand Budapest Hotel", it's rare to find anyone saying it was "just okay". Either you loved it or you hated it.

I found "Budapest Hotel" to be a wacky, hilarious, and visually gorgeous film. The acting is also good, but it's similar to how characters are shown in Anderson's previous films. Okay, so if you know Wes Anderson's style, you'll know a little bit about what this film will be like even if you haven't seen it. It's typical for him in style and comedy, but there are still things that set it apart.

"Budapest Hotel" is definitely more adult oriented and mature than previous Anderson films. It's also packed with interesting and strange characters. My favorite thing about it is how chaotic, adventurous and awesome it is. Not only is it all three of these things, but the script manages to pull non-stop laughs from the audience along the way. The intentionally awful practical effects and the artistic direction also improve the film.

It's classified as a comedy, but it really does take a very specific group of people to find this movie funny. It has strange sense of humor, one that some will question but others will love. This is why there seems to always be two sides to Anderson films. I personally believe he's an extremely talented director and writer, who will continue to show off his amazing skills with future films. I look forward to see what he creates next.