Review of The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) by Alasdair B — 24 Feb 2015

Okay so I missed seeing this film months ago. I think it's the only major awards contender I haven't seen. Out of all the great films of 2014, this one is the most creatively artistic. Yes, not even the masterpiece Birdman was as creative or inventive as this film. It recently won Oscars for it's costume and makeup design. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is directed by the great Wes Anderson, and stars Ralph Fines, Edward Norton, F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Tom Wilkinson, and Tony Revolori.

Monsieur Gustave H (Fines) is the caretaker of the Grand Budapest Hotel. The true owner of the hotal is unknown. Gustave runs a tight ship at the hotel. One day, a new lobby boy named Zero Moustafa (Revolori) appears. He and Gustave become close firends throughout the film. One day, one of Gustave's elderly lovers dies. He and Zero make the trek to her estate. In her will, she leaves Gustave a famous priceless painting. Others present there-including her son-aren't so happy. Gustave and Zero make off with the painting. Gustave is then the prime suspect for the murder of the elderly women.

Ralph Fines is a very talented man. His performance in this film is very good. He and Tony Revolori make a splendid team together. Young Revolori himself gives a charming performance, as do the rest of the incredible cast.

First of all, Wes Anderson is an incredible director, and he outdoes himself with Grand Budapest. His direction is surefooted and impressive here. Secondly, this film has an absolutely fantastic script. Birdman may be taking home the Oscar for best screenplay, but in my eyes, this film had the most exquisite screenplay of the year. It is beautifully written, with amazing dialogue and effectively beautiful narration. It felt like I was reading the actual script. The characters are all quirky and interesting, and every character has fine dialogue. Thirdly, you all know I am a sucker for beautiful camera work. Out of all the great cinematography I saw this year (ei. Birdman, Ida), this film could be the best camera work I saw. Yes, Birdman took home the award for that as well, but Robert Yeoman's work here is incredible. All of his shots are symmetrical, stylish, and well lit. The camera movements are glorious, and the amazing costume and set colors worked so well on screen. Lastly, the score. I was desperately hoping Hans Zimmer would take home this one, but Grand Budapest prevailed. Alexandre Desplat took this one, and I have to be honest, it was my second choice for best score. It's a beautiful, artistic score, and I'm very happy for Desplat.

What stood out the most concerning this film was the art of it all. The costumes are just marvelous. Every coat, hat, and uniform is well made, and looks authentic. The colors work brilliantly on screen, and the sets were just a cinema lovers wet dream. All the sets, models, and props were unique.

This film is well made, and it's also very thought provoking. Underneath the amazing script and beautiful production, is a very meaningful story concerning the Holocaust. Young Zero is a Jew who's family was killed during the war. The film shows Zero constantly mistreated because he is Jewish. Gustave is always standing up for him. A prime example is when the two of them travel on the train. Zero is always inspected and mistreated when the soldiers search the train. The film tackles many issues of that time with extreme respect. It reminds me very much of Ida, which also dealt with various political and human issues of the 1930's and 40's. For this reason, I have grave respect for this film.

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" is a thoughtful and somewhat profound film concerning the terrible events of the Holocaust. Aside from it's beautiful artistic style, it's brilliantly directed by Wes Anderson, and has a stunning script. The performances are good, the costumes are astonishing, and the comedy is extremely clever. It's a clever comedy that manages to be completely respectful to the heavy subject matter.