The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) ****1/2
Wes Anderson is known for being meticulous but The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) has to be his most meticulous film (so far). Aside from assembling one of his most impressive casts (in a filmography filled with ridiculously impressive casts)—down to what are essentially bit parts—GBH is, well, just his most grand film in every way. And unlike Moonrise Kingdom (2012) (which I still greatly enjoyed), there's never a feeling of stunt casting—even the smallest roles feel lived in (whether they are name actors or not). And the fictional world which Anderson created for all the wonderful characters that populate GBH is simply breathtaking.
GBH boasts three (!) (technically four but one is a matted version of another) aspect ratios to represent different time periods throughout the film (1932, 1968, 1985 and present day). There are hundreds of f/x shots of varying disciplines (practical, miniatures/models, matte paintings, some digital here and there), all brilliantly executed. The plot is terribly convoluted (yet not confusing) and uses a dense nesting doll approach to the storytelling.
There is of course, as in all his films, a sense of melancholy—dark aspects sprinkled throughout—and I think GBH may contain the most swearing of any of Anderson's films but nothing contained within ever detracts from the fun. This is one of those films that can rightfully be classified as a "romp". The pacing is often breakneck and Alexander Desplat's eclectic score provides a real sense of urgency when it needs to, whimsy at other times, and beauty throughout. The dialogue is snappy, funny and continuously charming.
I saw GBH twice in the cinema. I loved it right from the get-go, despite a technical problem at the theater where I saw the film for the first viewing (mentioned in my review). I intentionally did not buy the initial Blu-ray release, patiently awaiting the day that I knew that would come—when The Criterion Collection would eventually release their own (better) edition (every Anderson film is in the Collection now, save for Isle Of Dogs (2018) (my review here), which I'm sure is coming). Which means I had not seen the film since my second viewing in the theater a month after I saw it on opening day. I won't say that I forgot how much I loved the film because I didn't; I just reconfirmed my love for it and Criterion proved to me that it was worth waiting for their newly-produced extras and lavish packaging.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a pure delight and there is so much to unpack, even when you've seen it before. It's a film made for those that love the art of filmmaking. Truly.
GBH boasts three (!) (technically four but one is a matted version of another) aspect ratios to represent different time periods throughout the film (1932, 1968, 1985 and present day). There are hundreds of f/x shots of varying disciplines (practical, miniatures/models, matte paintings, some digital here and there), all brilliantly executed. The plot is terribly convoluted (yet not confusing) and uses a dense nesting doll approach to the storytelling.
There is of course, as in all his films, a sense of melancholy—dark aspects sprinkled throughout—and I think GBH may contain the most swearing of any of Anderson's films but nothing contained within ever detracts from the fun. This is one of those films that can rightfully be classified as a "romp". The pacing is often breakneck and Alexander Desplat's eclectic score provides a real sense of urgency when it needs to, whimsy at other times, and beauty throughout. The dialogue is snappy, funny and continuously charming.
I saw GBH twice in the cinema. I loved it right from the get-go, despite a technical problem at the theater where I saw the film for the first viewing (mentioned in my review). I intentionally did not buy the initial Blu-ray release, patiently awaiting the day that I knew that would come—when The Criterion Collection would eventually release their own (better) edition (every Anderson film is in the Collection now, save for Isle Of Dogs (2018) (my review here), which I'm sure is coming). Which means I had not seen the film since my second viewing in the theater a month after I saw it on opening day. I won't say that I forgot how much I loved the film because I didn't; I just reconfirmed my love for it and Criterion proved to me that it was worth waiting for their newly-produced extras and lavish packaging.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a pure delight and there is so much to unpack, even when you've seen it before. It's a film made for those that love the art of filmmaking. Truly.
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