Continental room service, the way it should be.

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2015)

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Mssr. Gustave H. (Ralph Fieness)is the concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel in 1932. It is a grand edifice indeed, an ancient artifact of 19th century Imperial Europe, as are most of the clientele including a number of dowagers of various title and status. They go there to reminisce about the good old days of dukes, earls, counts and princes, but mostly they go there because of the "exceptional service" provided to them by M. Gustave H.
Those of you that have a dirty mind will find it an appropriate tool in this particular case.
One of these ladies, Madame Celine Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (Tilda Swinton) is so taken by M. Gustave H's "service" that a valuable painting is to go to him when she dies, which shortly and conveniently she does. This beneficent bequest causes much consternation to her family heirs. Principle among them is her son, Dmitri (Adrien Brody) and his hired thug J.G. (Willem Dafoe). These two should find a comfortable home in the oncoming fascist takeover of Europe as together they elaborately plot to frame M. Gustave H for murder .
And let the adventure begin!
Together with his apprentice and protégé Zero (wonderfully done by Tony Revlori) they will encounter art theft, gunplay, cold blooded murder, jail breaks, Nazis, a ski chase like we haven't seen since James Bond, a network of conciergery (if there is such a word, I wouldn't try it in Words with Friends) with apparent super powers well beyond the Fantastic Four; and German pastry to die for.
Sound absurd? It is. It is at times cartoonish maybe even silly with slapstick and sight gags to accentuate the absurdist dialogue and action. It is an existential comedy that would either make Sartre turn over in his grave or stand up and cheer. I would hope it would be the latter, although I have never detected much of a sense of humor in Sartre.
To continue further with this absurdist binge, this movie, with its distinct European sensibilities, was written and directed by that good ole' boy Texan Wes Anderson. (Academy Award Nomination, screenplay)
Do you recall William Hurt's character in "The Big Chill" stating glumly and pessimistically the existential lament that "Let's face it, we're all alone out there, and tomorrow we got to do it all over again"? Anderson and Fiennes create in M. Gustave H a character who might say that very same line, only with M.Gutave H, it would be said with enthusiasm and gusto.
They have given us a hero with an almost ancient likeness (think Achilles) resourceful, intelligent and courageous; supremely self- confident in his ability to overcome any situation no matter how challenging, dangerous or dire and of course do it with style. It is refreshing that the director and actor bucked the current trend to portray the hero as sociopath.
Don't get me wrong I loved Walter White.
It is hard to recommend this movie because I'm sure there are some people who won't like it. There is a silliness threshold that has to be overcome, and some of the European custom and mores may be a little hard to take. But if you have problems like that, write your own review, this is mine, and the movie invites you to be whisked along on the ride of M. Gustave H's great adventure. I did and had a great time. I think it one of the best movies of the year, and the Academy apparently agrees nominating it for best picture. I was disappointed that Fiennes was not nominated because for me it was the best performance of the year.
By the way, it turns out Sartre was cremated, so I don't know what to do with that metaphor.
PS This film has brief but meaningful appearances by Owen Wilson, Bill Murray (always in an Anderson film) Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Kietel, Ed Norton, F. Murray Abraham and other familiar faces, if you like that sort of thing. Well even if you don't like it, they're in it.
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