This particular Wes Anderson offering follows the shenanigans of one Monseuir Gustave, who is the concierge of the aforementioned hotel & lives to serve his guests’ every need (he puts the bed in ‘bed & breakfast’, dear me) & his loyal lobby boy Zero who lives to serve Monsieur Gustave’s every need, be it covering up crime or breaking him out of prison in ways that I won’t reveal here, cuz I ain’t no snitch. Joining them both on their journey are a mix of characters who unlike those two aren’t as colourful… unless that colour is grey.
And what an interesting, enjoyable, sometimes even greasly journey it turns out to be. I imagine if we let Wes Anderson adapt Agatha Christie’s works, then ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ would be the finished product.
Now I won’t go on about the cinematography in this or the production design in this or the colour palette in this, because if you’re acquainted with Wes Anderson’s style than you already know that all of the above is as neat & crisp as a hotel bed corner, as well as beautiful, intricate, fascinating & overall just darn delectably awesome. Even an old, dead, corpsey, heavily ‘made up in prosthetics‘ Tilda Swinton looks visually appealing! Many a times, the camera work was so eye-catching, I just had to rewind to take it all in. In short, it’s as one of the characters puts it later in the movie- ‘a pretty picture’.
What I would love to talk more about, in fact, are the characters. I love their interaction with each other as well as getting to know them through their actions, through their interactions & through their various peculiarities. I was also fascinated by the twists in the storyline which were absurdly whimsical, whimsically absurd & often times tinged with comedic moments (at times of the dark variety) & was hence glued to the adventure unfolding onscreen. The vocabulary used in the dialogue too tells a lot about the characters.
For example, Gustave’s way of speaking to his staff or guests in the most pleasant, aristocratic manner or even the baddie’s art of yelling profanities such as ‘Candy ass’ at his intended targets (Adrien Brody, you potty-mouth, you) is enough to tell me more about each character. Themes like the horrors of war, trying to find a sense of belonging in a world torn by war & the importance of relationships are touched upon subtly. The soundtrack too complements the proceedings very well.
Among the performances, I was captivated by Ralph Fiennes’ Monseuir Gustave in all his poetry spouting, wise cracking glory & thank heavens for more bisexual representation on screen. Tony Revolori as the lobby boy Zero keeps up very well with Ralph Fiennes(sometimes quite literally) & that’s quite a feat in itself. Saoirse Ronan is a delight & I’m also glad they let her keep her natural, gorgeous accent intact for this. And, ah, yes, hmmm… Jeff Goldblum… What can I say about Jeff Goldblum? Yes, hmmm…. I’ll use just this one phrase that Conan O’Brien came up with & which aptly sums up his short presence in this movie- ‘the eye is immediately drawn to Goldblum’.
Everyone else from Edward Norton to some instantly recognisable faces from Wes Anderson’s troupe of actors do complete justice to their roles. Although I’ll never forgive Willem Dafoe for yeeting that cat out a window. For shame, Willem Dafoe, for shame!
Also, I would so kill for a video game adaptation of this captivating crime caper (try saying that six times fast)… But only if they can get Wes Anderson on board to create it.
Moral of the story: Always appreciate your lobby boys. Also, connections in the hospitality industry are hella important. Also, don’t forget to be a glimmer of civilization in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity… & please, for the love of all that’s pure, don’t yeet any cats out of windows. Enjoy your stay & au revoir!