If I had to make a top 3 of my favourite directors, Wes Anderson would be in it. I love everything about his cinema: the stories, the aesthetic, the actors he chooses etc… There isn’t one of his movies I didn’t like. So if you’re here to read a negative review of his latest film The Grand Budapest Hotel, well, you’re not in the right place.
In a time of war, Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), concierge extraordinaire of a famous European hotel called The Grand Budapest Hotel, and his protégé, the lobby boy Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), embark on a perilous journey when Gustave inherit an extremely valuable painting after the death of a wealthy millionaire (Tilda Swinton).
Oh, how I’ve missed Wes Anderson. Two years after the incredible Moonrise Kingdom, he comes back with The Grand Budapest Hotel. It’s always refreshing to be reminded that cinema can still be extravagant, extra creative, and original. With each new movie, Anderson goes into a new world, one we haven’t quite seen yet even if it looks familiar. From the very start, I knew I was in for a treat. I could compare The Grand Budapest Hotel to a delicious pastry, that leave you wanting more and more as you bite into it.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is remarkable as each detail is carefully crafted to fit in this very European and refined pink and white dominated world. Each of the three eras represented in the movie is filmed at a different aspect ratio, the facade of the Hotel is actually a miniature and not CGI generated, even “Boy with Apple” was commissioned to a painter. Needless to say, Wes Anderson likes to play it old school. Entirely shot in Germany, the atmosphere and aesthetic of the set seen on screen is astonishingly developed thanks to Robert Yeoman, who has worked on every single one of Wes Anderson’s movies. Alexandre Desplat delivers yet another delightful score, mixing many different instruments and styles. You don’t change a winning team!
Speaking of winning teams, what a delicious cast! We rediscover Anderson’s favourites, such as Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Adrien Brody or Jason Schwartzman, all very present in his filmography. These Anderson regulars are in addition to the main cast featuring Ralph Fiennes, Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Tony Revolori, who complete this highly colorful cast perfectly. Ralph Fiennes gives such an on-point performance as Gustave H, carrying the story with panache and class, and with Tony Revolori, who’s just as good as Fiennes, they form an unlikely pair that works so well with one another.
It’s true that each of Wes Anderson’s movies have something in common, something that makes you say without a doubt “I know who made this,” but what makes his genius is his ability to create different worlds within the same universe. When you think about it, all of his movies put together could represent different parts of a world, more or less realistic, but definitely creative.
Nominated for 9 Oscars, and winner of the Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical, The Grand Budapest Hotel has its chance to win, or I least I really hope it has its chance against all the Dramas nominated this year. It’s a movie to discover, with a cup of tea and some Mendl’s sweets!
Rating: 4.5/5
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