Loved it

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2015)

The first thing that struck me with "Grand Budapest Hotel" is how much it reminded me on quirky "Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain" (2001) which I loved back than and always will. No one usually talks much about it but I see traces of "Amélie" very often here and there, the narrative, voice-over and all. Apparently this director is already known for his highly recognizable visual style and equally criticized and loved for it - I for one, love it and not only that I "get it", I actually wallow in every meticulously pre-arranged scene that makes movie look like some overblown marzipan cake it would probably take me several re-viewing to grasp all the countless little details. So what is here not to be liked? I really wonder - since it delighted me so much - who are those people who snicker and dislike what I find to be unforgettable joy of a movie? Could it be they are so used to familiar action/crime/murder clichés that they wont accept anything that is not fitting into boxes? That Wes Anderson (who, by the way was born in the same year as me, and uses my beloved Stefan Zweig as reference) is too creative and original for them? Contrary to these opinions, I am so relieved, glad and yes, thrilled that there are still directors around who love what they do and follow their own muse instead of making just another forgettable products on the factory line - "Grand Budapest Hotel" might seem odd to some, but to me it stands head and shoulders above anything that I see advertised these days.