Stars Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe and Tilda Swinton

Rating: 10/10 (28 May 2016)

Whenever a film has perfect control over its tone, setting, camera-work, dialogue, and performances, you don't even notice the running time. It's therefore even more pleasing that the madcap caper film that is The Grand Budapest Hotel doesn't outstay its welcome – and gives a fine farcical romp in the process.
Back in the 1930s, the eponymous Grand Budapest Hotel is run by fastidious concierge Monsieur Gustave (Fiennes) who's just taken on a new lobby boy, the aptly named Zero (Revolori). He runs the hotel like a tight-knit military unit, catering to the outrageous demands of the rich and wealthy. But when one of these clients, the fabulously wealthy Madame D. (Swinton), dies, and Gustave is framed for her murder, he and Zero must go on the run from D's homicidal brothers Dmitri (Brody) and Jopling (Dafoe) after they suspect D left her inheritance to Gustave instead of them.
Unfortunately, describing the plot as I have above doesn't really convey anything about what the film actually feels like. It's light in tone, yet such serious situations as the theft of a painting, a prison break, and a shootout in the hotel lobby take place. The gloriously detailed sets, some bright and gaudy, some dark and foreboding, perfectly set the atmosphere for each scene. Throughout it all, the kinetic camera movement and finely tuned movements of the actors always give the impression that the chaos, such as it is, is still organised.
And underpinning it all is the tragic figure of Gustave, whose outward fussiness give way to a tender core as his relationship with Zero (his protégé) deepens through circumstance. Almost innumerable cameos from other famous stars make this a veritable "did you spot that?" game, but all serve a purpose, and all serve the main story. Coming in at surprisingly well under two hours, The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of the best movies of 2014.