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Aren't we all more or less attracted by shiny objects? As toddlers we were. In kindergarten we were. In high school we really were. And even though we're getting better at hiding and transferring this primal instinct, we still are: attracted by shiny objects.
Wes Anderson is one the most talented, living craftsmen who make shiny objects. He taps the sunshine, freezes the quicksilver and literally blows the dust from the treasures of ancient (European) families. I have talked about Wes Anderson and his films before, at length. With the surprising arrival of The Grand Budapest Hotel to a cinema "near" me, I finally have more to talk about. A wise man once said that it is "the most Anderson that Anderson ever Andersoned" or something among those lines, and it's about the truest thing you could say about this film. It has the carefully and lovingly designed sets that create an atmosphere of a doll's house, the craziest... oh well, there's no evading the word, quirkiest characters, played by the most hyped actors. It has the props, the songs and the poetry. And - this is probably the most important thing - it has Europe. If we're being very black-and-white about it, Hollywood produces glamorous, entertaining movies while European films are thought-provoking and low-budget. Europe would not have made a film like The Grand Budapest Hotel. Nor would the United States. It's an inbetweener, a curious outsider, a cinematic weirdo. And that's part of why I love it so much.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is not just a film though, it is a place as well - and this is important to remember. It's a similarity that the film shares with Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited and Moonrise Kingdom, which just so happen to be some of my favorite Wes Anderson movies. To be true, most of his movies are some of my favorite Wes Anderson movies. Still, his latest work stands out from the little crowd. It's a pink bubble of nostalgia, romance and Ralph Fiennes being funny. Shining bright till the credits.
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
2013 • USA/ Germany • English/ French
director Wes Anderson
authors Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness, (Stefan Zweig)
★ Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan
FINAL FRAME
„You're looking so well darling, you really are.“
I still really want to see this. The art house theater here has it, but their show times never work out for me. It sucks. I'm glad to hear this will be worth the wait though. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThat really sucks. I'm don't have any restrictions except for my side job at the moment, so I went to the first screening here.
DeleteGood review. Totally worth the watch, especially if you're already a fan of Wes Anderson. Then, it's all the more sweeter of a treat.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dan. I'm actually surprised to see that this has become Anderson's most popular movie to date, so he must've picked up quite a few new fans.
DeleteI actually still haven't seen this yet either, but I'm happy to see you loved it.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't have a big release anywhere, so I think a lot of people that want to see it haven't had the chance yet. I'm looking forward to a review from you!
DeleteGood point that its all about a place, which like you say is also true in several other Wes Anderson productions.
ReplyDeleteI loved it, and that's from someone who used to not "get" Wes Anderson.
I would say Budapest Hotel is more accessible than some of the director's previous films. The story is not as oddball as say Life Aquatic, Budapest has a bit more suspense in the storytelling.
It's definitely a more commonly structured narrative than some other Wes Anderson stuff, true. It's weird because he really goes all out with his craziness and quirkiness, but somehow people like you seem to really dig this film in particular. I'm happy for him though!
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