Wes Anderson shares with us the whimsical goings on in his creative mind.

Rating: Null/10 (25 July 2014)

I watched this movie twice. The first time I neglected to consider that it is a Wes Anderson movie. As such I tried to make sense of it in the usual way and, while I enjoyed it enough, my second viewing a few days later was much more fun. In fact, I'll go so far as to say this is one of the most fun movies I have seen in quite a while.
The most common element of every scene is that there is nothing in common with normal expectations. Every scene is done in a very careful, particular style. Whether it be colors, or camera angles, or unexpected dialog, often all of these and more, the whole movie is a delight of invention.
The phrase "never a dull moment" applies.
The story has three layers, 1986, 1968, and 1932. It starts with the older author telling of his younger self meeting with a mysterious man who tells him of his past, in 1932, and that is the story featured. It is about how he came to own the Grand Budapest Hotel in a fictional place. It involved wealthy guests, a bisexual concierge, and a very new lobby boy, destined to become the old owner of the hotel.
It has a great cast of some of the best actors, many of them typical participants in Wes Anderson projects. The story is fun, but it really is secondary. The filming and story-telling mechanism is the best aspect of this movie.
I watched it again March 2017 and in February 2020, and each time found it as enjoyable as ever.