Well worth the time!

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2014)

I did not know what to expect from this movie. I did not "get" the promos. I found myself rooting for it to get better and better.
It pulled me in and I wanted it to be great. But it wasn't "great". It was very enjoyable though. The cast is fantastic, playing a bunch of eccentric, at times ridiculous characters without going over the top. Its wonderful to look at. Its wonderful to listen to. M.Gustave's enslavement to protocol is charming. One of its best moments is when he apologizes to his "lobby boy" Zero "on behalf of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" while on the run. The movie seems to celebrate the flaws in people, places and buildings. Zero does not see the large birthmark on the woman he loves face. Just as he does not see the deep flaws in Gustaves character. Or the ravages of time on his beloved hotel.