A Visionary Delight: The Grand Budapest Hotel

I’ve been wanting to see this film for ages and finally got round to watching it last week and it was definitely worth the wait.

Directed by Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel recalls the adventures and mishaps of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at the Grand Hotel, a famous and elegant pink-painted retreat for the rich between the two world wars.

 

It is influenced by the prolific Austrian writer Stefan Zweig and although not directly based on any of his works, Anderson ensures it evokes the spirit of Zweig's melodramas.

The murder-mystery-adventure-story is recalled in retrospect from the former lobby boy Zero Moustafa, played by F. Murray Abraham, who became Gustave’s accomplish and most trusted friend during his escapades in the 1930s, which include frolics with elegant elder ladies staying as guests at the hotel, a stint and escape from jail and various train trips across a snowy and pre-war Hungarian countryside peopled with soldiers, who he repeatedly gets into scuffles with.

Jude Law plays the young writer who is staying at the hotel, now owned by Zero, which has lost much of the charm and allure of a bygone era and is in need of a good lick of paint. The main plot plays itself out in flashbacks during a dinner between Zero and the young writer in the hotel’s outdated dining hall. Zero returns to the hotel, located in the fictional Zubrowka, every year, but still refuses to stay anywhere but his small room in the servant quarters that he inhabited when an employee all those years ago. Zero himself is still grief stricken from the loss of his sweetheart, Agatha, played by Saoirse Ronan, who worked at the local patisserie, supplying the Grand Hotel with sweet treats.

I don’t want to give too much away because this film is really worth seeing for yourselves.

The plot is a little whimsical but Ralph Fiennes plays the composed yet slightly insane Gustav and puts on a terrific witty performance that will have you in stitches.

The film is modern, innovative and playful, with voice over narrations adding to the visual sophistication. The narrative is also hilarious and excellently executed from the whole cast, with multiple cameos from well known stars, including Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman- to name but a few.

For me the film’s real draw was its screen play which is a visceral masterpiece. The meticulous attention to detail and the rich and vibrant colours give off the impression of a fairytale for adults, where you can imagine yourself to be reading an elaborately illustrated children’s book with interactive pop out pieces.

 

Fictitious, bizarre, sad and comic all in one go, this film of labyrinthine emotions is definitely worth a watch.