Stylishly made fun film that is engrossing every moment.

Rating: 8/10 (23 August 2014)

Stylishly made fun film that is engrossing every moment.
It surprises for a good part of the film and that's the best part. From the time we enter the Budapest Hotel, it is an fun ride, the characters are interesting and have their own little stories that are comical yet emotional and thoughtful.
The story of lobby boy (Zero Mustafe) or that of Gustave, or of any character, they are not very great to say the least but are interesting. They all together shape up this well made set piece that is mostly confined to the setting of the Hotel. The acting by Ralph Fiennes is a treat and Tony Revolori as the lobby boy is a revelation.
The interesting part of the film I found was the use of varied aspect ratio. It differentiates the time frames intelligently. Wes Anderson is a director who oozes out fun in his films. His films are more about fun and the camaraderie between the characters. The shots are slick, the art direction is generally awesome and the cinematography is superb. The film is very appealing visually and all his films thus far have been stylish.
There is enough substance in this fun story There is action, chase, fight, enough drama and even suspense. It's all well stitched and made the whole film an engaging experience. Of course, the script is the hero followed by superb art direction of the hotel.
I am not sure, if this was shot on location or whether they erected a set, but it was just beautiful. The hotel, interiors, the painting of the exteriors and even the locales.
This film shall be a 4/5 for the acting and the art direction alone. Thanks to Wes Anderson for giving us a good time at the movies yet again.