I just want to start by saying I am a huge fan of Wes Anderson. Not many know him, however his films are very distinctive. His shots are framed perfectly centred, his films usually star his friends (Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton e.t.c) and his main theme of his films is family. I have watched most of his films, including his very first (Bottle Rocket) and I can now say I think this might just be my favourite.
The Grand Budapest hotel is a film about story telling. First, we see an author of old age, telling the reasons behind his book, then we skip back thirty or so years, and this narrator turns into Jude Law, the young author. He then meets Mr. Moustafa, who tells the story of how he ended up owning the hotel. This story involves murder, art theft and M. Gustave, who is played by Ralph Fiennes.
The story, which sounds a little confusing written down, is told wonderfully on screen. Everything is very Anderson-esque. Visually, it is probably my favourite Wes Anderson film. The colour scheme of pinks, blues and yellows is absolutely gorgeous. There is use of stop motion which is so perfectly done it just works with the film. The shots are so thought about it shoes and even the actions of the characters are just timed perfectly. The film is also very funny, for some reason I found anything that Williem Dafoe did hilarious. The subtle swearing is done very well, and is used for comedic purposes instead of swearing for the sake of it. (If I remember correctly, hardly any swearing is used in any of Wes Andersons other films).
Overall, I would highly recommend this film. For newcomers to Wes Anderson, it is a perfect film to introduce yourself to his style, and you will be impressed one way or another.
★★★★★
Have you seen this film? What did you think?
