A silly movie, but with great acting, cinematography and screenplay.

Rating: 9/10 (14 February 2015)

This film is perfect for a Friday night laugh. Its comedic element is at times so random but so funny that you can't help but just laugh out loud. It is silly without being overly stupid and it still manages to keep the story going. There are quite a few plots in this as the events just keep coming and the ball keeps rolling.
The acting is phenomenal. Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori make an unusual pairing but the chemistry between them and their conversations with each other is flawless. They portray their characters incredibly well as did Edward Norton and Saoirse Ronan. Adrien Brody did an all right job, though he seemed a bit over the top or maybe I'm just not used to seeing him in this sort of character. He was still pretty funny. Willem Dafoe's stone face is a weird mix between comedy and thriller.
One thing I noticed is that apart from one or two characters, the whole film consists of mainly stock characters. I'm referring to characters who are only one dimensional and only show one side of themselves. I don't know if this is genius but to pull off a film and have it succeed without any character development is amazing. However, because the character's all have a place and fit so well with/ against each other, it works to its advantage. Though these characters are not complicated, it must have took a lot of planning to come up with them and arrange their relationships with each other.
The cinematography is great and the artificial colouring adds to its comedic effect. Because it is so obviously fake sometimes, it just adds to the mood. Even the poster and images of the hotel seem to be two-dimensional, like a setting for a play or puppet show. Which is why I found it a little disconcerting when dark elements were introduced in this film (deaths and so on), it was too gruesome an aspect next to this comedic set up.
I also did enjoy the screenplay, Gustave is such a very charismatic character and Fiennes plays him so perfectly. The way that the conversations go so fast makes the audience stay focused on what is happening and it doesn't give a moment's rest. The unnecessary swearing, I admit was funny, but luckily there wasn't too much of that.
Read more movie reviews at: championangels.wordpress.com