Grand Budapest Hotel

Fairy tales tell grand stories through a small lens. It’s a diabolically difficult form that requires broad appeal within a narrow construct. Empowering animals and mythical creatures as characters allowed writers to explore moral, religious, and societal conflicts without causing offense while simultaneously raising awareness. The term “fairy” refers to the nature of the story (fantasy, magical) than to the message which usually is a barbed commentary on the human condition.World Wars I and II obliviated the pretense of coded storytelling. The horrors of human behavior were too real to ignore or trivialize, and a vast body of both fiction and nonfiction works were straightforward narratives, not allegorical tales. To bear witness required brutal telling and retelling of the crimes against humanity. There was no hiding behind the amusing framework of three little pigs, a beanstalk, or a mermaid.The “Grand Budapest Hotel” is a throwback to the early fairy tale style complete with fantastic, over-the-top, and improbable events. It depicts a magical time in an imaginary place of people with unique powers (of manners, persuasion, language, opportunities, food) and a dreamlike appreciation of their special place in the world. It has its madcap and slapstick moments, but at its core, it is a melancholy story about the breakdown of order and how little acts or mercy, tenderness, and faith can hold together a world that has gone completely mad .The cast is stellar with the main character M. Gustave, brilliantly played by Ralph Fiennes (his best role, I think, and one which showcases his talent.) Eventually, evil forces blow apart that insular, delicate world, but the sub story – the one that opens and closes the movie about the ownership of the now-faded hotel – provides the hope that love and memory outlive savagery.F. Murray Abraham, who plays the older version of the hotel’s lobby boy, Zero Mustafa, Gustave’s apprentice, captures that aesthetic in his closing line: “To be frank, I think his world had vanished long before he ever entered it. But…he certainly sustained the illusion with marvelous grace.”An enchanting - and graceful - movie that will stay with you long after the closing credits.

Great movie with an impressive cast. I've never understood what "multi format" meant when it came to dvd's until this movie. The film begins by telling you to set the screen to 16X9...huh? Well, the film starts out in widescreen, goes to standard format for most of the film, and then back to widescreen. I guess I am old because I didn't notice this business until the end of the film... go figure. I was going to return the dvd because I thought a mistake was made somewhere down the production line. I even wrote a 3 star review earlier in the day because the whole film wasn't in widescreen. I took a break from the film for a few hours before coming back to it... I went out of the room to write the previous review and start the return paperwork. I came back hours later to finish watching the film and then had my EUREKA moment.I really enjoyed this movie. It's not slapstick, it's just good comedy. You have to pay attention to enjoy this comedy. I'm not returning my copy as I had previously planned to do..

The first time I saw this movie, I thought it was the weirdest film ever. But, I watched it again and again and each time I did I would notice something else totally hilarious or something said that I didn't catch before. If you have the focus for it, I recommend this movie. It's great. And, the blu-ray came in tact and perfect.

Absolutely brilliant film with a ton of great cameo appearances. The story line is terrific, the cinematography stupendous and the comedy is top-notch. The film has a dream like quality to it and you will definitely appreciate the weirdness of it all. I recommend this film without reservation.

A surefire way to laughter!Wes Anderson’s indie absurdist comedy-drama The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) is absolute nonsensical comedy and pure joy filmmaking for 100 minutes of delightful charm. Wes Anderson’s direction is sublime and fast in one of his funniest features. The odd humor and resonant dramatic moments keep you guessing as he lures you in with elegant charm and stays engaged because of all the quirky characters and sleek filmmaking. Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness adapt Stefan Zweig’s novels into a surreal crime mystery full of endless absurdist humor of the highest caliber. You will not stop smiling during The Grand Budapest Hotel until the credit hit.All the delicate pinks and vibrant purples in Stephan O. Gessler and Adam Stockhausen’s production design make The Grand Budapest Hotel look like a luxurious period dollhouse. It’s so beautiful to look at Robert Yeoman’s cinematography as every shot is a cute square and close medium shot of adorable perfection. His style is so refreshing and breathtaking that it’s clearly influenced anyone from Paul King’s Paddington and Paddington 2 to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out. Barney Pilling’s editing is quick with slick cuts from one decorative German locale to another lavish spot. Milena Canonero’s costumes are neat concierge uniforms to period soldier uniforms all in striking purple or black. She outdid herself with these outfits of colorful flair.Alexandre Desplat’s score is so pleasant as his whimsical charm is still present in his ambient sounds that are more electronic this time around, yet remain graceful. His movie music is refined, yet chaotic fun and always fun to hear. Heike Merker and Norma Webb’s make-up is excellent as they age Tilda Swinton decades into an elderly lady, in a role that she delivers convincingly. Meanwhile, they give all the gentlemen of The Grand Budapest Hotel an air of sophistication and grace. All the ladies are gifted with cute looks and restrained beauty with pulled back hair and neat dresses.I must mention Ralph Fiennes elevates The Grand Budapest Hotel into all time great comedy status thanks to his riveting and hilarious comedic turn as Monsieur Gustave H. His endless poetic ramblings and rude offhand remarks are just too funny. Tony Revolori is fun as the steadfast lobby boy Young Zero Moustafa. F. Murray Abraham is heartbreaking and interesting as Old Zero Moustafa. Jude Law is excellent as the Young Writer, who is our narrator along with Tom Wilkinson as the Old Author.I loved Mathieu Amalric as the secretive Serge X. Adrien Brody steals every scene he’s in as the scoundrel heir Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis. His sudden curses and calm walk show a level of refinement to his acting that allows him to be intimidating without trying too hard. Willem Dafoe is monstrous as the serial killer J.G. Jopling. Jeff Goldblum is funny as the lawyer Deputy Vilmos Kovacs. His cat getting killed is so funny like how Wes Anderson kills off many of his furry creatures suddenly in his features.Saoirse Ronan is magical and sympathetic as the pastry girl Agatha. She’s captivating every second she is on screen. I simply adore Léa Seydoux, so it is delightful seeing her as the maid Clotilde. My only complaint to Wes Anderson is that Ronan and Seydoux should have had more lines!Harvey Keitel is cool and funny as the tough prisoner Ludwig. Bill Murray gets a fun cameo as Monsieur Ivan, meanwhile, Jason Schwartzman is funny as the lazy Monsieur Jean. I really enjoyed seeing Owen Wilson in a Wes Andreson feature again as the helpful Monsieur Chuck. Edward Norton cameos as a pivotal character called Inspector Albert Henckels. Furthermore, Wes Anderson puts in all manner of cameos of actors from his previous films for the astute fan of his extensive filmography now.In all, Wes Anderson utilizes his magnificent cast wonderfully resulting in an enchanting picture.

This is a beautiful and very entertaining film with a truly remarkable all star cast. Everybody who is anybody in the world of contemporary screen acting seems to be in this. But however enticing it is to see all those big names in the same film, the concept is not without its problems. Apart from Ralph Fiennes, the then practically unknown Tony Revolory and possibly Saoirse Ronan, the stars don't really get as much screen time as they deserve and I was left wanting to see more of most of them. Much more. Because the acting is flawless throughout. Down to the smallest supporting parts, everybody is on top of their game. And they all look absolutely fabulous in those amazing costumes.Like the costumes, the sets are stunningly beautiful. Everything is so highly stylized as to be exaggerated - befitting for the setting inside a luxury hotel, a place where reality is suspended the moment you enter. Visually, the film is a masterpiece. Every frame is composed down to the last detail. It's a joy to watch. The story is fun, especially the more whimsical moments, but I must admit that I couldn't get emotionally invested in the fate of the characters. For me, this one is style over substance. Great entertainment, I enjoyed watching it, enjoyed Ralph Fiennes' amazing performance, loved the music, but the thing I remember most are the sets and costumes.The DVD is lovely. It has English subtitles for those who may need them. Also included are the following extra features: - Mendl's Secret Recipe - Promotional Featurettes (Cast, Wes Anderson) - Stills Gallery - Theatrical Trailer

The movie was released in 2014, just to make things clear. 100% best cinema from me, having seen most of Wes Anderson's work. The movie is so symbolic and that's why it is so popular and widely understood and appreciated. The symbols of by- gone eras, the many nations' symbols and even loyalty becomes a symbol because it is so set in stone. Love, once found, also gets set in stone and is represented by many objects or places... which become symbolic as the plot unravels. The cast,superb , makes it easy to follow a fascinating plot and enjoy the humour. It's an action movie once we learn a bit about the writer's job in this story. Emotions are seen in action, there is no time for their development, so enjoy the roller coaster !

I’m not sure why I do this... Even though I have already seen this film through means of streaming, I still want to own it, and most probably never watch it. I think it’s a man thing, we like hunting, if not buffalo anymore then it’s records and dvds. The fact I bothered getting a hard copy means I think highly of it, as I’ve been scaling down my dvd collection of late. But this is not reversing the trend. So to all those collectors out there, it’s worth having in your collection in my opinion.

A breath of fresh air, originality, hilarity, and fine acting in this marvellous romp starting in the hallowed portals of the old world epitome of splendour and elegance The Hotel Budapest. The cast is superbly led by Ralph Fiennes, playing the hotel general manager who does whatever is necessary to keep his older female guests happy, contented and returning.It is when one of his 'older very wealthy dear ladies' dies and leaves her considerable fortune to him, much to the anger of her very large extended family, that frantic events, murder and wild chases take place, that are in the tradition of The Blues Brothers, Indiana Jones and The Pirates of The Caribbean chaotic chase scenes.'Hammy' overacting, earthy language, and exuberant fantasy-like sets are the order of the day in this film which is very funny, gripping and excellent entertainment.For it's originality, panache, settings, and outstanding 'make-you-laugh' comedic values "Grand Budapest Hotel" richly and justifiably deserves several Oscars.

Enjoyed 5 mins and the rest went downhill. So thought this looked an hysterical watch from the trailer.Unfortunately, this film rates alongside my first long term relationship. I went into it, all excited and with great expectations, but unfortanately it was lacking, a bit like my ex:-(.