Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson is one of those directors whose films can easily be attributed to them within seconds of viewing. His style, consisting of perfect angles, long takes and quirky character beats, is so unique that he has nearly become a brand in and of himself. The Grand Budapest Hotel does nothing to dismiss it, and may in some ways be his most stylized film yet, but it does change the formula in a few ways.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a story within a story within a story. It is the tale of M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) a hotel manager in wartorn Eastern Europe who must contend with a devious plot when an elderly and wealthy mistress of his dies. The story is told from the point of view of Zero (Tony Revolori) a new lobby boy who Gustave finds himself connecting to. The plot is much more complex than that, but to tell more would be confusing and spoiling, as much of the fun of the story is seeing where the plot will go next.
While there is some fun to be had in the plot, it does get hard to follow at some points. Far less straightforward than any of his previous efforts, The Grand Budapest Hotel finds Anderson juggling more characters and plot threads than he has ever worked with before. Though all connected, the sheer number of stories and characters can be overwhelming at times. The other downside is that there are so many characters that none of the actors are truly given enough time to shine, save Ralph Fiennes who reigns in the Anderson-esque tendencies of his character just enough to stand out among the director's other protagonists and find a suitable place for himself to make his mark.
In terms of visuals, however, The Grand Budapest Hotel may be Wes Anderson's most impressive film yet. The hotel is wonderfully conceived, its startling pink standing out amongst the rest of its environment. From a production design standpoint, this film is a highlight of this year, as the locations are constantly entertaining and beautiful at the same time. They do not exist in our real world, but then Wes Anderson's films do not exist in the real world anyway. They inhabit their own universe, and The Grand Budapest Hotel is a visual standout even among the rest of his filmography.
In the end, there is quite a bit to enjoy about this film. It retains the same intriguing style that marks the rest of Anderson's career, and the visuals, as well as Ralph Fiennes' performance, make it a standout. However, the film does tackle a bit more than it can handle, storywise. It feels very rushed in pace, and could have benefitted from some simplification. As well, some of Anderson's fans may be turned off by the darkness of his films. He has never shied away from tackling serious moments in his movies before, but he has never dealt with the level of peril and violence that he plays with here. Though some will enjoy this change to his usual methods, it never quite meshes with the otherwise bright and colorful tone of the rest of the film. Still, that is likely intentional and it manages to keep these moments shocking.
Whether or not you like The Grand Budapest Hotel probably hinges upon your feelings about Wes Anderson's films in general. If you are a fan of his work, you will probably enjoy every second of this film. If you find his style annoying, then this film will not change your mind. What is for sure is that this film was made with love and care and a clear vision, for better or for worse. B
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