My Ratings: 4.5/5
The Grand Budapest Hotel is the most stylish comedy I have seen in years.
Don’t expect intellectual witty humor – on the contrary the treatment is often slapstick but the classy execution of the story, the richness in each and every frame and the dead-pan honesty of the characters make the film a classic in it’s own way.
The story telling can’t possibly be more bizarre and direct at the same time.
It all starts when a girl comes to a park and looks at a bust of a man titled as ‘Author’. We are quickly taken back in time as we see this ‘Author’ in flesh (Tom Wilkinson) who recounts his younger days (becoming Jude Law) when he met Mr.Moustafa, the owner of the Grand Budapest Hotel (played by F.Murray Abraham) – who again tells his stories in flash back. Wow!
The film is set in Zubrowka, a fictional place somewhere in Europe where the once majestic Grand Budapest Hotel stands tall.
Young Mr.Moustafa named Zero (played by Tony Revolori) is been appointed as a Bellboy under the wing of then-concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel – Mr.Gustav (Ralph Fiennes have given a superb performance).
Mr.Gustav is a refined man who is in a habit of serving the old, rich and blonde guests (especially the female guests) of the hotel in many intimate ways. He soon comes to know that such a rich beloved old acquaintance of his named Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) has passed away leaving him a painting worth a fortune. But of course Madame D’s family won’t give up their claim that easily.
Once the basic plot is set the rest is just a brilliant visual treat of the epic adventures of Mr.Gustav and Zero as they struggle to legally own the priceless painting and also to survive the wrath of Madame D’s son Dmitri (Adrien Brody) and his henchman Jopling (Willem Dafoe).
Honestly I feel this story line (nothing exceptional) wouldn’t have had any influence on the audience if Wes Anderson wasn’t the director of the film.
Wes Anderson is reputed for his unique technique of emotionally detaching the audience from the characters of his films – it’s like you can see them but rarely feel for them. Yet the master filmmaker in most of his films manages to enthrall us by his sheer cinematic brilliance.
This time Wes Anderson’s obsession for perfect production design, bold color schemes, faultless framing and as always the cheeky humor brings out an unique creation. The Grand Budapest Hotel is simply wonderful to watch, probably his best work till date.
Excellent camera work by Robert D.Yeoman (Wes Anderson’s favorite cinematographer) and a special mention of Adam Stockhausen for outstanding production designing. Alexandre Desplat, one of the best composers of this age has done justice in the music department.
The film can either be interpreted as the saga of The Grand Budapest Hotel’s sad legacy or it can be about the giddy tale of Madame D’s inheritance or maybe it is simply the adventurous accounts of M.Gustav and his loyal Bellboy Zero.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a must watch for all cinema lovers, especially recommended for the fans of Wes Anderson and Ralph Fiennes.
Film Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fg5iWmQjwk
