Well done above all, and entertaining without being laugh-out-loud funny.

Rating: 8/10 (19 November 2015)

There are three things that I believe makes this movie a masterpiece of comedy: consistency, passion, and charisma. The fictional world is consistent as is the style of humor. Normally this comedic consistency would limit the interested audience, but here I think it worked well because Wes Anderson and company didn't feel the need to throw in more marketable and LCD jokes that would have felt pushy and out of place. So by narrowing the types of comedy incorporated, they actually made it more broadly appealing. Second is passion, which you can see from every aspect of the film, particularly in the acting. I got the sense that everybody involved in the production of this film wanted to be there for the sake of being there and put their whole soul into their job. This mindset will invariably yield better results. Last is charisma of style. I know that this style of directing has been displayed in some of Wes Anderson's other films, but it's still worth noting. The geometric and linear camera angles work wonderfully, whether it's adding to the audience's slight smiles or giving objective exposition. Coupled with this is the unique color scheme and music score. There are actually a couple of instances where genuine suspense is conveyed quite well in the scene when Jopling (Willem Dafoe) pursues Deputy Kovacs (Jeff Goldblum) and the scene when Agatha (Saroise Ronan) is pursued through the hotel.
The plot is actually somewhat complex, similar to Clue, another classic murder mystery comedy. There are a lot of characters involved, but they're pretty easy to keep track of because all of them are played by well known actors, have simple names, and are given distinctly different personalities. The basic plot is that one of the Grand Budapest Hotel's most seasoned guests, M. Celine D., (Tilda Swinton) is murdered and the authorities have named Gustave H., (Ralph Fiennes) the hotel's concierge, responsible. This is coupled with his questionably legal acquisition of a painting given to him in the deceased's will. What ensues are a series of fast-paced misadventures involving Gustave H., his new lobby boy Zero, and an number of M Gustave's comrades and enemies. The story line in itself could probably have been used for a much more serious and heavy movie, but instead, they turn the horrific gasps into laughs.
The narrator is a much older Zero Moustafa, but the story is really seen through his younger eyes. Zero pretty much gets swept away in all of the tumultuous events following Madame D's death. He is completely subservient to the whimsical, accommodating, blunt, poetic, and sometimes greedy Gustave H. Despite his other faults, he never seems to bear any real ill will against anyone, even Madame D.'s vulture-like children. The rest of the all star cast make up mostly minor roles. Most of them only appear for only three or so minutes on screen with a couple of exceptions. Agatha, Deputy Kovaks, Henckels (Ed Norton), Dimitri, and Jopling all get a lot of attention in a plot sense, but of these we only really connect with Agatha.
I have limited knowledge of Wes Anderson's other works, but I would recommend this lightly whether you're a fan of his or not. If you aren't amused by the trailer, you won't find much more to amuse you in the final product. There's depth there if you look hard enough, though the whole thing about "his world" that the older Zero talked about at the end was a little confusing. I think "his world" was one where people didn't necessarily play by the rules, but were generally good natured and didn't hold grudges or anything like that. In that case, I suppose the movie was about how that world was temporarily corrupted and how M Gustave fought to keep it alive. Overall Rating: 8.2/10.