As the most successful Wes Anderson film to date with both critics and audiences, The Grand Budapest Hotel has made quite a mark on the awards circuit. With nine Academy Award nominations and eleven BAFTAs up for grabs, it's surprising to see that this early 2014 release has gained so much attraction in all these ceremonies - especially when considering that the majority of these films come out just before the year is up for the attention. But there is good reason for this success, as it is my personal favourite out of the bunch. It may not be the strongest film to come out of the nominations, but it is the film that is the most rewatchable and most lovable, and as such deserves such recognition for achieving this.
Primarily set in 1932 in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka, we follow a young lobby boy (newcomer Tony Revolori) in his interactions with promiscuous hotel concierge M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) who gets framed for the murder of esteemed guest Madame D (an unrecognisable Tilda Swinton). As they evade the military and her careless son Dmitri (Adrien Brody) alongside his ruthless henchman Jopling (Willem Dafoe). Split into five parts as well as both a prologue and epilogue (set in three different time periods, excellently portrayed through the usage of different aspect ratios), it is an engaging storyline, with the screenplay massively helping carry the story along with its smart wit and harmonised pace. It's made all the more joyous by Anderson's particular style too, as it is a visual marvel - no wonder he earned a Best Director nod. It can be argued that it's not a new look for him, but within the context of the film it works all the more.
But while you can give all sorts of praise for its screenplay and aesthetics, it's the all-star cast which successfully brings the film to life. The Revolori/Fiennes double act are a force to be reckoned with - with Fiennes being the strongest for managing to show just how well he can do comedy - whilst each supporting cast member has an equally strong impact. Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray et al all get a good amount of laughs and/or heart, and each performer brings out the right thing in every scene. Outside of the main storyline, you have delightful appearances by Jude Law and F. Murray Abraham (who does voiceover numerous times during the main story) with a minor appearance from Anderson alum Jason Schwartzman - an arguably underrated actor - bringing a bit more emotion into those opening and closing moments, whilst a very minor role for Tom Wilkinson helps kick-start both the comedy and the story. It could be argued that these areas could have been expanded upon during the film and gaining additional coverage like the Law/Abraham segment - which occasionally pops up for additional information - but it would detract too far from the main storyline.
As someone who is a stickler for comedy, it's hard to imagine something designed to humour actually doing so. But luckily for The Grand Budapest, it does so multiple times. Not just by its dry humour but by its overall attention to detail, as its attempts to resemble the films of old with its make up and designwork has clearly helped elevate not only its style but its humour. For example, it intentionally features poorly done make up on injuries such as broken noses to match the old way - it amuses those who pay attention while it pays homage to classic filmmaking. But of course, the actual jokes told are consistently hilarious ("What happened, my dear Zero, is I beat the living **** out of a snivelling little runt called Pinky Bandinski"…"He's actually become a dear friend") and it helps all the more by the delivery of each joke. This is where Ralph Fiennes shines, so his lack of Actor nomination is questionable to say the least.
There's a lot to love with The Grand Budapest Hotel. Whilst its ending is somewhat rushed, as though it needs to stay within its 100 minute runtime, it is filled with a stellar cast and some grand visuals. The comedy is spot-on, and it's a film that can be revisited multiple times without ever tiring. Its score (by Alexandre Desplat, who also worked on The Imitation Game) is amazingly catchy and is just as good as the film itself. There are some minute criticisms that could be made, but there's no doubt that a return trip is always desired after each viewing. It may not be as intense or overwhelming as its fellow nominees, but it's still a strong feature by Wes Anderson. 10/10.
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