The Grand Budapest Hotel

Rating: 8/10 (22 August 2015)

All of Wes Anderson's films are cut from the same cloth; this is not an indictment of the talented filmmaker. He has a unique voice using which he leaves a very identifiable mark on his films. The quirky characters, the colourful dialogue and some very inventive camera-work make his films very recognisably his work. The Grand Budapest Hotel fits very nicely into his oeuvre and might possibly be his funniest film yet. It is at once a touching and at times a very goofy film that not only follows the Anderson aesthetic closely but allows the director to explore his creativity in a slightly edgier fashion. The film employs three different timelines each of which is presented with a different aspect ratio. We first meet a man simply called 'The Author' (Tom Wilkinson), who describes to us a story that was narrated to him by the mysterious owner of the Grand Budapest Hotel Mr Zero Mustapha (F. Murray Abraham). The old man tells the author the tale of how he came to own the Grand Budapest. He was a lowly lobby boy in that very hotel under the tutelage of the Hotel's colourful and quirky concierge Monsieur Gustave H., who has a habit of (ahem) socialising with the hotel's more affluent visitors. One such visitor with whom he was particularly close, Madame D is found dead under mysterious circumstances and it is revealed that she has left a valuable painting much to the chagrin of her scheming son Dmitri (Adrien Brody). Some secrets are revealed and Gustave and Zero find themselves in the midst of several entanglements and chaos ensues. Now, strictly speaking the Anderson's style is something that takes some getting used to for the uninitiated. But, he possesses the singular ability to populate every frame with offbeat imagery and to use the camera in such a way as to mine humour out of every scene. The way characters move, the manner in which certain scenes unfold makes the film visually very engaging. The dialogue follows in the footsteps of the film's visual chicanery. The interactions are once touching and often really funny. The only real problem is that at times all this whimsical wizardry gets in the way of the storytelling. This gives the picture a sense of being slight and this somewhat blunts the emotional impact of the story. The constant levity undermines the effect that the ending ought to have. While Anderson has been guilty of this before it has not been as apparent as it is here. Though, to be fair the aforementioned levity does impart the more violent and gratuitous scenes an irreverence that is refreshing. The romantic aspects of his stories have always been Anderson's forte and he handles it with a deft hand. Another interesting aspect of this production is the art direction. In an age where most filmmakers chose to go for either grand set designs or elaborate computer generated backdrops, Anderson has chosen to go in for old school painted backgrounds and some very cleverly employed miniatures that do an excellent job of creating the colourful world in which these characters reside. The camera-work and the background score complement the quirky tone of the script as well. The story takes place in a fictional European nation called Zubrowka in a World War II like setting and the efficient execution of these technical aspects makes this world come alive beautifully. Even though Zero is the one telling the story through The Author, Gustave H. is the focus of the story and Ralph Fiennes proves to be an inspired bit of casting. Much of the film's humour and all its key moments are made memorable by his excellent timing and screen presence. He brings to Gustave great poise and grace without sacrificing the humour. We see the younger Zero on screen for a lot longer than his older counterpart and for that part the director has chosen newcomer Tony Revolori. Even though there is nothing especially memorable about the young actor's performance he does an adequate job of engaging in some very funny and at insightful banter with his mentor. One thing that sticks out as just a tad conspicuously though is the actor's use of a posh American accent for a character that hails from a supposedly middle-eastern background. Adrien Brody as Dmitri de Goffe und Taxis plays a straightforward one dimensional villain. Though, the actor does have some fun with the role. Willem Defoe as his henchmen Jopling sees the actor bring a creepy menace to the role that is unsettling. The film has very large and diverse secondary cast with actors like Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton occupying small roles that could easily be missed in the flurry of all the frenzy. The Grand Budapest Hotel does not quite hit the emotional highs of its maker's previous effort Moonrise Kingdom (2012). But it is still a solid effort from a man from whom his admirers (this author included) have come to expect a great many quirky cinematic delights and on that count The Grand Budapest Hotel does not disappoint.