Grand Budapest Hotel Review

A movie can be something sacred. When executed properly, film can evoke emotions that can resonate with the viewer. Some movies have a strong plot, a story with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Some movies have actors who enhance a strong plot, or sometimes even carry weaker ones. Some movies parts that are funny, serious, tense, suspenseful and if you’re lucky they all blend perfectly.  If a movie has all of these parts, what you have on your hands is a classic, something you can watch and never tire of. The Grand Budapest Hotel is an instant classic because it has a strong plot, strong actors, and a strong attention to detail that make the different parts of the movie truly come to life.

                The Grand Budapest Hotel is a Fox Searchlight production from 2014. The action/drama/comedy was written and directed by American Wesley Anderson who is most known for The Royal Tenebaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom. The movie is inspired by the writings of Austrian novelist Stefan Zweig.  The film’s protagonist, concierge Monsieur Gustave H. who is played by Ralph Fiennes is based on Zweig. Supporting him is his trusty lobby boy Zero, played by Tony Revolori. When a distinguished guest at the hotel dies M. Gustave and his lobby boy are in the thick of the action because she willed a priceless painting to M. Gustave and not her gold-digging children.. Stars like Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray, Edward Norton and a host of others have cameos that bring together various stories together so one can truly understand the institution that is the Grand Budapest Hotel.  I loved his work on 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, a stop-motion animation based on Roald Dahl’s novel with the same name. He brings the same creative, detail-oriented directing that makes for a great film. Ralph Fiennes, whom we all loved to hate as Voldemort in Harry Potter, perfectly portrays a concierge who is always polite and selfless but will kick off if needed.  Having serious roles in other films like Harry Potter, James Bond and Schindler’s List, Fiennes showcases his range as an actor in a playful and eccentric role with the dedication and conviction seen in his other roles. Revolori plays the sidekick role perfectly, following orders but also stepping to the plate when needed. The Grand Budapest has quite a lot of action, a lot of drama, and a lot of comedy, but they all complement each other well. Often in these movies one can overpower another, and it is refreshing to encounter a film that has a smooth blend of such different characteristics. With a perfect blend of action, comedy and drama, The Grand Budapest Hotel is an instant classic.

                The movie begins with a tribute to a fictional author who is based on Zweig in the fictional land of Zubrowka. The author is played by Tom Wilkinson and soon the scene changes, and Jude Law is playing a younger version of the same author as he wanders about the Grand Budapest Hotel. A strange man arrives and sits in the lobby, and the young writer asks the current concierge who the man is. The concierge informs the writer that the man is the owner of the Grand Budapest Hotel. The two cross paths in the hotel and the owner invites author to dinner to reveal the unique story behind the Grand Budapest Hotel.

                The plot has twists and turns, each one more interesting and entertaining than the last. This is a film where just when you think things couldn’t get any crazier, they get crazier, and it only leaves you yearning to know what is going to happen. You are taken for a ride and, once the ride is done, you understand a lot of more of the story and the characters.

The characters are really what brings the movie to life. Each character is engulfed in their role. Everything they did seemed natural and despite some surprises, nothing is out of character. Ralph Fiennes played such a good role that whenever I see him in another film I feel as if he got a new job and no longer works at the Grand Budapest. Zero was a most loyal lobby boy, a kid who just wanted to work at the Grand Budapest, and his devotion to his job is impossible to ignore. Jeff Goldblum is always great in any movie and as Deputy Kovacs he gets it right again. We all loved Goldblum for his reason and ethics in Jurassic Park, and he displays that once again in a completely new way. Willem Dafoe as Jopling is fantastic, although he has hardly any lines, you know the kind of person he is just by his action, and expressions. For an actor to be able to portray so much with saying so little is truly amazing. These and all of the other cast members do such a great job at their individual roles that when they all mix it is flawless.

                The scenes in the film sometimes have so much going on yet manage to make you focus on what you should be. There are a lot of scenes with many people involved, and filming is executed in a way that allows you to see different peoples’ reactions to what is going on. In a way you can focus on everything and also on whatever the scene is about, a freedom not many movies allow. The beginning scene celebrating the author is a unique touch that shows the joy people can find in reading. There are a few special effects in the film. Most notably, the outside shot of the Grand Budapest Hotel, its vivid and large stature conveying the lavishness of the hotel and also the extravagance of M. Gustave and his dedication to those who visit. There are a few other scenes with special effects that are executed with just the right amount of satire without going over-the-top.

                For me, one of the things that can make a movie that more memorable is the amount of quotable lines, and not just quotable because of the movie, but because they resonate with me in life.  M. Gustave asked Zero, “What on God’s earth possessed you to leave the homeland where you obviously belong and travel unspeakable distances to become a penniless immigrant in a refined, highly-cultivated society that, quite frankly, could’ve gotten along very well without you?” When Zero tells of a war that left his family dead and how he was forced to flee, M. Gustave realizes how harsh his words were. “I see. So you’re, actually, really more of a refugee, in that sense? Well, I suppose I’d better take back everything I just said. What a bloody idiot I am. Pathetic fool. Goddamn, selfish bastard. This is disgraceful, and it’s beneath the standards of the Grand Budapest. I apologize on behalf of the hotel.” Something that it seems many people overlook when talking about immigration. The range of M. Gustave to say things that are so genuine and heartfelt to things like, “Whos’ got the throat-slitter?” really make him a great character.

          I loved the film for the ride it takes you on, following M. Gustave and Zero on their crazy journey filled with drama that leaves you needing to know more, action in the most unique ways and laughs in sometimes inappropriate scenarios. With the blend of drama, action, and comedy perfectly mixed with great acting The Grand Budapest is an instant classic and a 5-star film.