THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Wes Anderson may be one of the most successful directors, however, he is also probably one of the most underrated. This is because, despite receiving critical acclaim on most of his films, audiences have always had a mixed response to them because they're different from other successful films. However, I think that's why Anderson's films are worth watching because they feature an original story and interesting characters.  

Since the release of his directorial debut, Bottle Rocket, in 1996, Anderson has released eight feature films including his latest, The Grand Budapest Hotel, which may be his best yet. It's the first of Anderson's films to win four Academy Awards which were for Best Achievement In Costume Design, Best Achievement In Makeup And Hairstyling, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score and Best Achievement in Production Design. It was also nominated for another five including Best Motion Picture Of The Year and Best Achievement In Directing. Not only is it an award-winning picture, it features a stellar cast including Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and many more. It was because of this star studded cast that I decided to watch The Grand Budapest Hotel and, because I'd never even seen any of Anderson's previous films, I had no idea what to expect. Fortunately, The Grand Budapest Hotel, much like his other films, is an original comedy with elements of drama and features a whole range of interesting characters.

The Grand Budapest Hotel recounts the adventures of Gustave H (Fiennes), a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune - all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

As to be expected with an ensemble of talented actors, the performances are solid all round. The stand out is, of course, Fiennes, who is almost unrecognisable as Gustave as it's rare to see him in a comedy. He was previously seen as the evil dark wizard, Voldemort, in four of the Harry Potter films. These two characters couldn't be more different which only proves Fienne's talent as an actor. Revolori shines in his debut performance. He works well with Fiennes and their two characters bond as they share an unforgettable adventure. If there's an antagonist to be found in this film, it's Brody as Dmitri who is the son of Madame D (Swinton), a woman Gustave has been sleeping with. When Madame D leaves a priceless painting, Boy With Apple, to Gustave rather than her own son, Dmitri is outraged. This leads to him and his associate, Jopling (Dafoe), searching for a copy of the second will that, if discovered, would be disadvantageous to his inheritance aspirations. Dafoe makes Jopling a dark character and, because he uses violence to find out information, the scenes that feature him are the most tense. Both Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, who are frequent collaborators of Anderson's with the latter being his friend, make small cameos. 

The comedy is where The Grand Budapest Hotel succeeds the most. I wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did and the humour mainly comes from Gustave's many one-liners and his outbursts. He has a personality unlike any other character I've ever seen and, despite his many mistakes, he's an overall likable character. Fans of comedy will not be disappointed here as there's plenty of scenes to make this an entertaining comedy caper.

Despite the many humorous moments, there are many elements of drama throughout that make us care deeply for both of the lead characters especially Zero. In the opening of the film, we are introduced to him as an adult (Abraham) and we learn how he became the new concierge of the title hotel. The majority of the film is set in 1932 which is shortly after he escape from his home country where his family were executed. When Zero makes this confession, we feel sympathy for him. Fortunately, he forms a solid friendship in Gustave. 

Underneath all the comedy and drama, romance makes an appearance as Zero falls in love with Agatha (Saoirse Ronan) who is a baker at Mendl's. As adult Zero tells his story, he mentions his love for Agatha and we watch the two bond in a short but sweet montage. Ronan makes the most of her limited appearances by portraying Agatha as a sweet individual who is always willing to help Zero.

To be honest, the entire film is worth watching just to see its setting and the costume and make-up. This is where The Grand Budapest Hotel is at its most impressive. I was shocked to discover that the hotel was made out of a department store in Görlitz, Germany. The scenes that are set in the hotel stand out as the majority of the screen is filled with bright pink and gives it a bright look which indicates that the scene is positive. This is a contrast to the scenes where Gustave and Zero are on the run outside and the scene has a darker look to emphasize the mood. The make-up and costumes stand out too because they're so over the top which is appropriate for this film. Swinton is completely unrecognisable as the 84-year-old Madame D and spent five hours in the make-up chair. Like Ronan, Swinton has a short but memorable appearance. Each character has their own unique style that represents their personality. For example, Gustave is an extravagant character so it's only appropriate that he wears a bright purple jacket and has perfectly combed hair and moustache. As for the evil Dmitri, he wears nothing but black to emphasize the darkness of his character.

Overall, The Grand Budapest Hotel is typically stylish but deceptively thoughtful and finds Wes Anderson using ornate visual environments to explore deeply emotional ideas. It also features a star-studded cast, some of whom give their best performances. 

8/10