The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Review.
Even though film reviews are suppose to be impartial but I have a soft spot for Wes Anderson. From a personal stand point his films are comfortable to watch. It has this style which is weird and wacky but it’s colour aesthetics gives a sense of nostalgia and the retro grandeur is a pleasant portrait to cast your eyes upon.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is no different. Anderson stays to his way of film making. Even on a limited budget the sets and the direction is one of a majestic feeling and the tone is quirky enough to become a joy to view. The huge and acclaimed cast is perfect for this film. It;s huge cast of all era’s and the only downside is that every big star gets limited to a cameo performance.
Ralph Fiennes plays the concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel and his character is a unique in Anderson’s universe. In past films every character plays to Anderson’s world. Wacky in style and peculiar in their speech, There’re normally a calm tone to the characters speech even when they are angry. However Fiennes breaks out of this mould and at times, quoting ‘fuck it’ and loses his marbles. Fiennes breaks out of that mold and it provides a comedic strength to the film. Fiennes definitely shines in this film and that is not putting anything down on the supporting cast. Every actor did their job to the Anderson standard. Especially Ed Norton’s character was also a favourite, now becoming a regular in Anderson’s troupe. I would love if he had a leading role in the next Anderson film.
This is not Anderson’s best film, Moonrise and Steve Zissou is still by far my favourite films. The story had a lot of tangents that wasn't necessary and the cast was too big. Their was a lot of talent on show and not enough screen time. The Royal Tenebaums shows that Anderson can utilise a big cast, in this film some big names had very little screen time.
However The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of the best films I’ve seen this year and would recommend everyone to watch it. It was hilarious, not massive laughs but constant chuckles. I just had a 100 minute smile on the whole time. This film will surprise you, it will make you laugh, make you cry, amaze you though the style and sets. I have yet to come across a Wes Anderson that I’m disappointed by.
Overall - Wes Anderson creates another masterpiece and if everyone followed suit of how much effort the director put’s into the set and utilise the budget every film would be a joy to watch. Maybe it was over ambitious in it’s cast but Fiennes shines, Norton excels and Dafoe just terrifying. If you love Anderson watch it, If you don’t find your lost soul and watch it anyway. Film Rating 8.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment