An ageing, grandiose Eastern-bloc luxury hotel, resplendent in 1950s interiors, provides the backdrop to the zany tale of the renowned Monsieur Gustav (Ralph Fiennes), hotel concierge several decades earlier.
Writer/director Wes Anderson excels in comedic, surrealist narratives and bizarre characterisation. And The Grand Budapest Hotel is no different. Merging slapstick, animation and meticulous compositions with more than a touch of the surreal, hotel owner Mr Moustafa (Murray F. Abraham) settles down in the vast, empty hotel dining room to tell Jude Law the tale of Gustav’s quest to secure an inheritance. Charging through a fictional Europe of old, with a trainee concierge (the young Moustafa – Tony Revolori) in tow, Gustav is pitted against a wealthy family determined to deny his legal rights.
Expect nothing straightforward as the tale is exaggeratedly told and with cameos from the likes of Tilda Swinton, Gene Hackman, Mathieu Amalric, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Saoirse Ronan, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray and more in a Europe on the brink of war. It’s dark, it’s daft, it’s funny but The Grand Budapest Hotel is also intelligent, well-crafted and visually sumptuous.
Nominated for 9 Oscars in 2015 including best film, director, original screenplay, won 4 for best costume, production design, original score (Alexander Desplat) & make-up/styling.
Rating: 87%
Director: Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic)
Writer: Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic) – inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig
Main cast: Ralph Fiennes (The End of the Affair, Schindler’s List), Murray F. Abraham (Amadeus, Robin Hood), Jude Law (Cold Mountain, The Talented Mr Ripley)
An Opinion or Two 