The Grand Budapest HotelThe stories we leave behind can live forever in the hearts of those touched by them. Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel is--like much of the beloved filmmaker's colorful oeuvre--a storybook fable which wears its influences on its sleeve, yet remains a mature and engaging "bedtime story" for grown-ups. Like much of Wes Anderson's work, the film is populated by a collection of eccentric--yet complex--characters, cast by familiar regulars of his troupe, as well as recognizable newcomers like Ralph Fiennes and F. Murray Abraham as Monsieur Gustave H. and the older Zero Moustafa, respectively.
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One of the most startling visual flourishes to The Grand Budapest Hotel becomes evident pretty early on; as our perspective shifts, so too does the aspect ratio of the film. I have heard it said that some filmmakers consider the aspect ratio--where the black bars are, for the layman--to be a stylistic choice as much as the color field, the choice of lens, et cetera, as if framing a work of art. The irony here is that a notable "McGuffin" which propels the plot is an object d'art, "Boy with Apple". As previously mentioned, the shifting aspect ratio coincides with our change in era and focal character, from the nameless girl visiting a monument to the Author--representing Stefan Zweig, whose writings inspired The Grand Budapest Hotel--to the Author (Tom Wilkinson) himself, then to the Author as a young man (Jude Law), and yet again to 1932, when the titular The Grand Budapest Hotel is in its peak, prior to the onset of war, where elegant sophisticates come to spa, and it is said seek the companionship of the stylish concierge, M. Gustave H. The Grand Budapest Hotel is not only influenced by notable examples found in great works of cinema, but it at times even copies the style and manner of many of these classics to achieve its desired effect. Be it a kind of cineaste reverence or homage, the film recalls numerous moments to root itself in a historical context, but one which also evokes nostalgia within the viewer, as it does for the older Zero Moustafa to remember those crucial days in his life which changed his world, just as the story which Zero imparts to the Author appears to have changed the life of the nameless girl at the memorial.
The plot of The Grand Budapest Hotel circulates around M. Gustave's relationship with an elderly dowager named (here it comes) Madame Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (Tilda Swinton), who dies suddenly, and Gustave's visit to her funeral eventually leads to his becoming a fugitive, then prisoner, then fugitive again, all while trying to deduce alongside his trusty lobby boy, the young Zero (Tony Revolori), whodunit and how to clear his name. While the film is in no want of striking visual accents and exciting locales, Gustave himself remains one of the most fascinating parts of the film. His relation with Zero is initially one of an arrogant boss to the rookie bellhop, but as their mutual adversity in light of the escalating events unfolds, they form a mutual respect for one another and become friends--although Zero makes it clear that Gustave--the lothario that he is--will not flirt with his girlfriend, Agatha (Saoirse Ronan). Certain characteristics are established about Gustave through his behavior and his mannerisms. While he may come across as effete and wear copious amounts of French perfume--a fact upon which Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis (Adrien Brody) ridicules him--he appears to not only favor the company of women, he seems to be quite a player with the octogenarian crowd. The periodic writ Gustave prepares, or instructs Zero to deliver in his absence, marks him as a purveyor of verse, even if it is occasionally unsuitable for dinner. Gustave has an unfailing dedication to the execution of his work as a concierge, and even belongs to a secret society of sorts for men like him, a network which serves him well as it serves one another...as it serves its clientele. Given the mysterious circumstances of death of "Madame D.", it would not be at all implausible for audiences to consider that maybe Gustave did have something to do with it, or that there was some Machiavellian plot of which he was a part to obtain "Boy with Apple", especially in light of his swiftness to consider liquidating it. But as we learn more about this fascinating character through the eyes of Zero, who would recall the man who stood by him and could not bear to see another's right trampled by the jackboots of an incursive military squad, we discover just why Zero maintained his hold on the hotel--beyond his love for Agatha--and memorialized Gustave and his legacy by sharing this story with the Author, and beyond.
Recommended for: Fans of a tale both whimsical and serious, comedic and melancholy, which playfully arcs back in time to recall a mythical world of a bygone era. The elaborate costumes and colorful sets draw you into another world, inviting you to listen to the tale.
The plot of The Grand Budapest Hotel circulates around M. Gustave's relationship with an elderly dowager named (here it comes) Madame Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (Tilda Swinton), who dies suddenly, and Gustave's visit to her funeral eventually leads to his becoming a fugitive, then prisoner, then fugitive again, all while trying to deduce alongside his trusty lobby boy, the young Zero (Tony Revolori), whodunit and how to clear his name. While the film is in no want of striking visual accents and exciting locales, Gustave himself remains one of the most fascinating parts of the film. His relation with Zero is initially one of an arrogant boss to the rookie bellhop, but as their mutual adversity in light of the escalating events unfolds, they form a mutual respect for one another and become friends--although Zero makes it clear that Gustave--the lothario that he is--will not flirt with his girlfriend, Agatha (Saoirse Ronan). Certain characteristics are established about Gustave through his behavior and his mannerisms. While he may come across as effete and wear copious amounts of French perfume--a fact upon which Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis (Adrien Brody) ridicules him--he appears to not only favor the company of women, he seems to be quite a player with the octogenarian crowd. The periodic writ Gustave prepares, or instructs Zero to deliver in his absence, marks him as a purveyor of verse, even if it is occasionally unsuitable for dinner. Gustave has an unfailing dedication to the execution of his work as a concierge, and even belongs to a secret society of sorts for men like him, a network which serves him well as it serves one another...as it serves its clientele. Given the mysterious circumstances of death of "Madame D.", it would not be at all implausible for audiences to consider that maybe Gustave did have something to do with it, or that there was some Machiavellian plot of which he was a part to obtain "Boy with Apple", especially in light of his swiftness to consider liquidating it. But as we learn more about this fascinating character through the eyes of Zero, who would recall the man who stood by him and could not bear to see another's right trampled by the jackboots of an incursive military squad, we discover just why Zero maintained his hold on the hotel--beyond his love for Agatha--and memorialized Gustave and his legacy by sharing this story with the Author, and beyond.
Recommended for: Fans of a tale both whimsical and serious, comedic and melancholy, which playfully arcs back in time to recall a mythical world of a bygone era. The elaborate costumes and colorful sets draw you into another world, inviting you to listen to the tale.