Special Cinema Spotlight: The Grand Budapest Hotel

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, The Grand Budapest Hotel Review, Old Hollywood Blog

The films begins with a book and an eccentric old woman named Madame D played but the multi-talented Tilda Swinton.  The film, The Grand Budapest, is as eccentric as Madame D or perhaps more. It reminded me of the indie films I used to watch at the Angelika Theater in the Village (Greenwich Village). Quirky and fun with a dash of "who done it".

It is set in 1985, then 1968, with flips into 1932, you would think you would get dizzy with the decade changes but it was based on the reflections of two men. One who owned The Grand Budapest Hotel (F. Murray Abraham) and one who interacted with the owner, who is known as The Author (Tom Wilkinson). We learn how the owner acquired the hotel and the misadventures he experienced with the original owner, Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), who was a character onto himself.

I loved the multi cast of characters and all the actors that were involved in the film. It made it heaps of fun to watch. I did feel that I wanted to understand the motivations of Monsieur Gustave H. more but I think that was done intentionally when they developed that character. It was almost as if you had that very book in your own hands so you could read more about him.

There are murders, mysteries, injustices, humor, and romance all set in the backdrop of a cold season at The Grand Budapest Hotel. If you think this film may be too quirky for you, know that sometimes it is good to watch a story with an ambiguous ending and that sometimes it is good to also sit back and enjoy something different. Because different it is. I cannot describe it fully because it is by watching it that you grasp the uniqueness of the film. 

Have you seen this film? What did you think? Do you enjoy multi cast of characters in a film?

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3 comments :

  1. I have and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if it was quite a departure from the usual types of films I tend to fancy. The historical context and massive whimsy - not mention the amazing cast - drew me and I'm very glad we saw it. My only real qualm was with the ending, or more specially what happened to one of the key characters (I shalln't say more, in case anyone reading hasn't seen it), but even then, in the bigger picture of the movie, the ending did work and didn't feel entirely like a slap in the face, as I find some movie ends tend to (when they're not "happily ever after" sorts).

    ♥ Jessica

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  2. I finally saw this film last month and I adored it! Wes Anderson is one of my favourite directors, so I knew I was in for a treat, but it was even better than I expected. I thought Ralph Fiennes gave a superb performance - what a character! The humour, the styling, the sets, the dialogue...I loved all of it! :)

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  3. I LOVED this movie! It might actually be my favorite Wes Anderson film I've seen. To me, it still had that sense of Wes Anderson weirdness but also delved into some darker themes, as well, especially at the end. It had serious depth and didn't let you forget it. Ralph Fiennes was incredible!

    Cheers,
    Jenny

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