[Movie Review] The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson (screenplay & story), Hugo Guinness (story), Stefan Zweig (inspired by the works of)
Runtime: 99 min
Main Cast:
- Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H.
- F. Murray Abraham as Mr. Moustafa (adult)
- Adrien Brody as Dmitri
- Willem Dafoe as Jopling
- Jeff Goldblum as Deputy Kovacs
- Tony Revolori as Zero Moustafa (young)
Review: by Anthony and Lee
We missed the chance to see The Grand Budapest Hotel in theaters, but luckily we were able to catch it as it just came out on BluRay.
We’ve seen a few Wes Anderson films, and, after you’ve seen a few of his movies, you can see a trend. There are usually quirky characters, a cool and interesting soundtrack, great comedic performances, and Bill Murray and Owen Wilson.
The Grand Budapest Hotel was a movie about a book, telling a story about another story. Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) was the rich, eccentric owner of the aging Grand Budapest Hotel. After meeting at the hotel, he agreed to sit down with a young writer who inquires about how he came to own the hotel. Mouostafa then told the incredible story of Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), the legendary concierge that was his mentor and closest friend.
What We Liked:
One of the things that intrigued us about The Grand Budapest Hotel was the star studded cast list. It is always fun and exciting to see actors and actresses you know and love appearing in the film, no matter whether they are playing the main roles, portraying tertiary characters, or just appearing in a cameo.
One of the greatest parts of The Grand Budapest Hotel was Ray Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H. We greatly enjoyed his fast talking, energy, charisma, and random bursts of poetry. I (Anthony) readily know Ralph Fiennes from the Harry Potter films, as Voldemort, Red Dragon, and, most recently, Skyfall. With such limited exposure to how great of an actor Fiennes is, I was glad to see him on display in a main role.
Tony Revolori as young Zero, the new Lobby Boy, was very enjoyable as well. As a relatively new actor to us, he was a delight to watch. He didn’t shrink away and disappear behind Ralph Fiennes, which would have been easily done. Rather, he played his role perfectly, meeting the guests’ needs before they even know what they are, being devoted to the guests and keeping their secret. The character Zero was just great. It was interesting to see him complete Gustave. He was the best friend of the man who was friends with everyone and kept the secrets of the man who kept the secrets of others.
Aside from the amazing acting, the plot itself was fantastic. It was more than just a story about a story about a story. In order for Mr. Moustafa to properly tell the tale of how he came to own the Grand Budapest Hotel, he had to tell several other stories first.
The most interesting scenes were the interactions between Zero and Gustave. Their exchanges were genuinely hilarious, and the characters played off of each other very well.
The soundtrack was also very catchy and enjoyable. We especially loved the track that was playing during the chase scene through the mountaintop monastery.
What We Didn’t Like:
There really wasn’t anything that we didn’t like. It may have been a bit slow at times, but it kept us laughing.
Summary
The Grand Budapest Hotel was a fun, quirky movie full of hilarious hi-jinks and great acting. It is definitely worth a watch.
User Review
( votes)You can purchase The Grand Budapest Hotel on BluRay from Amazon Here
Images Courtesy of IMDB – © 2014 – Fox Searchlight Pictures
