A compelling piece from beginning to end.

Rating: 10/10 (16 August 2018)

I have just watched the Grand Budapest Hotel (and grand it is, indeed) for the first time and I was wowed beyond expectation. I must admit that I do take prior IMDb ratings into account before watching a movie and I was impressed by this film's high appraisal. Also keeping in mind the noise made by this movie a few years ago at the Oscars, I entered this movie with quite high expectations. This film is nicely paced, and instantly I was put into a trance by the beautifully designed set. I must give credit to Anna Pinnock and Adam Stauckhausen, they rightfully deserved the Academy award for production design on this film. This film is simply beautiful to the eye. This aspect is nicely complimented by the intricate and aesthetically pleasing costume design. The star-studded cast definitely positively impacted my experience. I appreciated the smaller roles played by A-list actors such as Owen Wilson and Bill Murray (Wes Anderson regulars) and others including Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Edward Norton. The acting in this movie is stellar, especially considering that this type of film/performance is not often seen by mainstream present-day audiences. This is not necessarily your run-of-the-mill movie, but in my opinion that is not a bad thing. Although not typical, I would say most movie-going audiences would enjoy this film as I did. The Grand Budapest Hotel balances just the perfect amount of bizarreness, creativity, sentimentality, independency, and story-telling ability to craft a one of a kind piece that will stay with you long after the credits roll.