Keep your hands off my lobby boy!

Rating: 9/10 (12 September 2014)

Always entertaining and constantly funny 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' introduces us to another beautiful and imaginative world plucked from the mind of Wes Anderson.
Its focus remains on Gustave the concierge and Zero the lobby boy. After a wealthy tenant dies and Gustave is named the heir of her fortune, he is also framed and sets out to clear his name and fortune. It's a story unlike Andersons previous films, but he tackled it in the same way he would with any film with unusual characters and a visual beauty leading the story.
With a cast with as many big names as this has (Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe to name a few) and many of them having less than 5 minutes screen time you would usually assume that the film would be selling out. Normally you'd be right and such a cast would just be an attempt at cashing in at the box office.
But gladly that's not the case. No matter how small the role, every part of this film comes across as both lovable and memorable. Each characters personality is distinct and the actors ensure that no matter how short the screen time they make their presence in the film remembered. Every character feels as if they are vital to the film and every character just makes the film even more charming.
Though as good as the entirety of the cast is, Ralph Fiennes still stands out with his memorable performance as the lead Gustave H, the hotel's concierge. Fiennes shows his great talent for comedy through his brilliant delivery. One moment he shall be a refined English gentleman, speaking with grace and modesty as one would expect from any fine concierge. Then the next he swears like a fu*king sailor.
Take for example his reaction when he sees 'Boy With Apple' where he comes across a priceless work of art "Blond, smooth skin as white as that milk, of impeccable provenance. One of the last in private hands, and unquestionably the best. It's a masterpiece. The rest of this sh*t is worthless junk." Fiennes switches between the two so naturally, yet somehow remaining charismatic throughout to create a peculiar and unique character.
These characters are mixed with Anderson's distinct visual style to create the beautiful world in which the Grand Budapest is set in. Short of 'Fantastic Mr Fox' this is probably where his directing style comes across strongest, with the film filled with his trademark centred shooting style and panning shots. Mixed with this is his usual charming dialogue and unusual storytelling style. This time Anderson experiments with a unusual narrative spanning 80 years in the first 10 minutes.
In the modern day a young girl is reading a book. In this book the author recounts a time when his younger self met the mysterious millionaire Zero Moustafa. Moustafa tells tells of the inter war years when the hotel was at its prime and under the leadership of Gustave H and the adventures that they went on. Through his smooth style the intro feels as if it were plucked from a book through the authors descriptive tone to explain the narrative and Andersons smooth style passing through scenes as if one was turning pages in a book.
This narrative also plays a significant role in Andersons visual style, most importantly that of the hotel. Due to the films narrative then there are two designs to the hotel. The first from the 30's where the bulk of the story is set. With this the hotel is a grand design, with stunning hallways constantly crowded with the wealthiest individuals, impeccable service and with brightly coloured cinematography to emphasise the beauty. It is nothing short of an ideal hotel, creating an illusion full of life and happiness.
The second design is from the 60's where in contrast the hotel is aged after the war. The halls are no longer crowded. Service is lazy at best. The bright colours are less defined. And it is no longer full of life as it once was. Whether it is to demonstrate how the war has destroyed the beauty of the hotel or to serve as a reminder of how the heyday of the Grand Budapest will be remembered for generations to come, Anderson uses the visuals of the hotel to give greater meaning and weight to Gustaves story. It makes the life seem all the more beautiful then and makes us desire even more to experience it.
And that's what makes the film truly special. Anderson not only creates his unique image of a world but makes us want to be a part of it. Whether it's the charm of Gustave and every other character or the Grand Budapest itself, Anderson hypnotises us to the screen through the films charm and beauty. It's certainly a film that I'll want to revisit time and time again.