Thursday 17 December 2015
Wes Anderson | USA, 2014 | 100 mins | Rated 15
It’s that time of year again when we show a film that diverges from our usual fare. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a fun-filled extravaganza set in a monumental and sumptuous pink palace perched in a mountain range in a pre-war central European country, the fictional Zubrowka. The story’s prime mover, famous concierge Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes) is the heart and soul of this decadent hotel, and is involved in one outrageous fiasco after another.
When a young lobby boy comes to Gustave’s attention, he schools the pup in the ins and outs of the hotel, not least explaining his own peculiar role and entanglements in the sex lives of its weathered residents. But when one of Gustave’s lovers dies mysteriously, Gustave finds himself the recipient of a priceless Renaissance painting and the chief suspect in her murder.
In his delightful comedy, Wes Anderson unleashes waves of fun-within-fun at every point. We find ourselves situated in a roomy and delectable vision of the past which makes the audience feel like giants bending down to admire a superbly detailed little universe. The Grand Budapest Hotel combines great story telling and a hilarious script with exquisite cinematography to produce a film that is perfect for a Christmas showing.