The Grand Budapest Hotel

This playful coloring book is highly original in Wes Anderson’s traditional fashion. The fast-paced narrative tells an engaging story about interesting characters, who shine due to the brilliant actors portraying cast. I’m glad the film succeeded commercially even in US cinemas, because its unique filmmaker deserves it. (03.04.2014)

A lot of figures, no characters. A lot of narrators, no narrative. A lot of movement, no direction. Anderson again balances on the edge of a chasm of gratuitous horsing around in grand style. The design of the individual settings and periods (red and purple art deco in the 1920s, grey and pink during the Nazi era, orange and yellow in the 1960s), the geometric perfection in the mise-en-scene and the seemingly hand-crafted tricks make up an unbelievably entertaining blend of the poetics of classic slapstick and Méliès’s more spectacular films. (A detail for connoisseurs is the fact that each era was shot in a different aspect ratio: 1.85:1 for the present, 2.35:1 for the 1960s, academic format for the 1930s). However, I don’t agree that Anderson has matured and has given us a sad and melancholic film in colourful wrapping. Any attempts at seriousness fail, whether in relation to the characters or to the theme of war and times long past. The war context, the hint of nostalgia and the multiple rewritings of Central European history serve mainly as an excuse for colourful fooling around. Zweig is present more or less thanks only to the nesting-doll structure of the narrative, the infrequent consideration of which over the course of the film raises a question that I had to ask myself repeatedly, despite my desire to let myself be freely carried away by Anderson’s imagination – “What is this for?” According to the principle of “why do something the easy way when you can do it the hard way”, the film contains a full range of prototypical situations that we would find in their unaffected form, which would better serve the story, in classic escape and caper movies. The acknowledged inspiration taken from Hitchcock’s thrillers (a persecuted innocent) and Lubitsch’s screwball comedies from obscure European countries (particularly Ralph Fiennes’s character and his attitude toward women, but not the “cleverness” of the dialogue, whose humour rather often consists in a wager on a sure thing in the form of well-timed vulgarity) is purely superficial. The intentional contrivance of the situations finds a response only in the actions of the characters, who respect strict rules and walk in diagonal lines, thus elegantly closing the circle, as the contrived world gives meaning to its lifelessness through artificial figures. I admire the precision with which Anderson builds his worlds and I enjoy the flawless comic timing of all of the actors, but I simply cannot find any deeper meaning, greater depth or narrative imaginativeness in Grandhotel Budapest. 75% (14.03.2014)

The cardboard world of Anderson's childish fantasy hooked up with a script someone dug up in Alfred Hitchcock’s forgotten archives, and I’ve definitively succumbed to this fool whose films I both liked and loathed at the same time. While it doesn't really have human emotions, but rather forcefully screwed-on tremors based on the situation the characters are in at the time, this thriller ride is as tense as anything else. The elevator scene at the end and the subsequent shootout in the gallery are both scenes that few people can really film today. PS: Most directorial aces would sell their souls for this casting. (17.03.2014)

Wes Anderson is a director with his own world. I’ve seen his world a few times before and I never liked it as much as I did in this movie. It may have been caused by the atmosphere of the Second World War, but I rather think it was the absurdity as such, that the director toys with in this war. It’s a bit like Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, only in the far more distinctive and positive style of the director, which I’ll probably never forget. And I have to admit, after watching this movie, I immediately have a reason to watch all his other movies I’ve seen before, but also the ones I haven’t seen yet. That’s how much The Grand Budapest Hotel affected me. (11.06.2014)

Wes and his animated woods, this time in a cabaret version of The World of Yesterday: Memories of a European. The film is best described by the quote dedicated to the main character: "His world came to an end long before he entered it." Unlike Zero, however, I seriously doubt that Anderson handles this paradox with grace. Unfortunately, I am already able to guess ahead of time the points and camera movements, and the cameos of the stars. The story is less inventive than Murder in a Parlor Car Compartment, and it's hard to tell if an alibi with nickel-and-dime novels will stand up (these are full of twists, which The Grand Budapest Hotel is not in its linear caricature). As soon as the enthusiasm for the artistically beautifully grasped retro faded away (if we can call a style retro that is freely reminiscent of something old, but does not even correspond to it), I found myself in a sequence of dynamic and loosely connected gags that float in an approximate intellectual goulash of references, paraphrases and winking. Anderson is so fascinated by the veneer of his toy industry that, when you finally make it to the melancholic finale, you are almost sorry that he has devoted so much time to characters and scenery that are beautiful but totally flat. The Grand Budapest Hotel captures an artist at the height of narcissism, who misses what is really interesting under the influx of colorful props and grotesque gags. No doubt more fun than the desperately overrated Moonrise Kingdom, but otherwise similarly meaningless. (28.02.2014)

I may not speak Hungarian, but I am fluent in "Andersonian" and so once again his distinctive visual poetics suited me like few things. If nothing else, it can at least be taken as an example of what an adaptation of “I Served the King of England” by Karel Zeman would look like. (15.03.2014)

At the previous stop in Moonrise Kingdom, I was starting to worry that Wes Anderson was only running on autopilot. Fortunately, I was mistaken. This conservative man has started building his own worlds again, and he enchants so powerfully that I can't help but be amazed. From camera-charming scenes (the museum), he transitions to grotesque ones (the Winter Games), and just a few seconds after what seemed like a harmless moment, the blood unexpectedly freezes in my veins. And despite the omnipresent optimistic atmosphere, his beloved accommodations have such a strong nostalgia for old times that it hurts my heart several times. It falls just short of the highest rating due to a few plot surprises, but that doesn't change how shocked and fascinated I remain. Because every time it seems like this bumpy cable car must inevitably stop, a welcome familiar face appears and we keep going. (12.01.2015)

In Anderson’s nostalgic and grotesque retro worlds, this one may be the most literal and gaudy, but at the same time it represents a (perhaps too) literal confession not only to its own protagonists, but to the filmmaker himself. “To be frank, I think his world had vanished long before he ever entered it. But, I will say, he certainly sustained the illusion with a marvelous grace.” (26.07.2014)

I had fun, I thought some of the scenes were brilliantly conceived. It had pacing and very fitting music. The acting was very good and Fiennes' pronunciation was simply pleasing to my ear. Although there is a bitter story beneath the veneer of comedy, I enjoyed it and left the cinema satisfied and amused all over again at some of the lines. The only thing that bothered me a little was the empty feeling at the end, but I guess it was meant to be. A weaker 4 stars, and I can definitely recommend it for viewing. (15.03.2014)

This is my first encounter with the work of the cult director Wes Anderson. I must say that it was a pleasant meeting that invited me to explore more films from his workshop. The success of the film does not lie in the plot - if the backbone of the story were to carry a vertebrate, that poor thing would practically not move from its place. I don't know about elsewhere, but in this case, Anderson's strength lies in caricature and grotesque exaggeration. The director conceived his search for the source of the hotel owner's wealth as a fantasy retelling of the modern history of Central Europe from the prelude to World War I and the rise of fascism to the social changes resulting from the political movement to the left. The charm of The Grand Budapest Hotel also comes from the casting of episodic roles by famous faces from the world of acting and their use in atypical positions. For example, Tilda Swinton plays a decades-older character from a withered and shamelessly wealthy family clan, which seeks her life and property. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a series of comic characters, amusing gags, chases, and twisty situations, cleverly written and performed with an unmistakable charm. Overall impression: 80%. (05.06.2014)

It all relies completely and solely on Wes Anderson’s direction. He manages to sell both special stabilization and an absurd story, but without him it’s “just" a tried and tested mishmash of (sometimes more, sometimes less) funny scenes. It’s not a boring movie, it’s playful, lively and has excellent actors. The problem is that we find innovation only in the trimmings, but not on the inside. Movie magic hiding yet another empty ode to an incredible life that just isn’t that entertaining anymore. (23.07.2015)

A mindless, emotionless theatrical romp with fantastic sets and costumes. Good as a theatre play, borderline passable as a film. (02.08.2022)

Probably the wackiest movie I've seen in years. It would be pointless to praise each one of the actors, the director and the composer. (04.04.2014)

This is like a sweet caress. At a time when cinema is pure business and the lead actress is supposed to have big boobs rather than acting talent (I'm not complaining), along comes one brilliant head with a film that so beautifully yet unambitiously promotes and, most importantly, celebrates the purpose of the film industry as a whole. A lovely story full of movement, dynamic twists and turns and wacky characters, each of whom captivates with their stylized appearance. If Anderson had worked in the early 1920s, he would be an immortal icon and perhaps a living legend, but it's much harder this way, because trends are fundamentally different and spoken dialogue doesn't fully always work in his films. Still, a great show and another excellent role for Ralph Fiennes. 85% (24.06.2014)

I like about three Wes Anderson films, the best one being The Grand Budapest Hotel. It has everything I look for in a film: a great cast, a great script and a quirky atmosphere. It’s one of the few that can make me laugh and feel at perfect ease at the same time. (02.01.2017)

Alright then. Wes Anderson absolutely won me over with this, mainly because he cast Ralph Fiennes in a role that perfectly suited his British acting. I had a great time, it is wonderfully magical, and once again I enjoyed a variety of great actors in amazing little roles. The best Anderson I have seen. (08.09.2014)

By the second half, I was getting a little bored with Anderson's playfulness and quirkiness, and the whole thing had an annoyingly repetitive feel to it. I also felt at times that the presence of the huge cast of first-rate actors was self-indulgent, as the arrival of some new characters didn't really advance the plot one bit. But overall, of course, it's still entertaining, especially the sex-crazed hotelier with gerontophilic tendencies, played by Ralph Fiennes, is absolutely divine in some passages ("I go to bed with all my friends."). But I can't shake the feeling that this is still "just" slapstick, with eccentric characters and an interestingly garish aesthetic. Something was simply missing this time. But 3 stars is still not enough, so for me it's kind of a weak 4 stars. (29.11.2018)

It's goofy, zany, crazy, just weird, BUT it has its charm. The movie races forward at an incredible pace, the acting performances are absolutely brilliant and hilarious (the dialogue in the confessional booth speaks for itself: “Those fuckers!”) and the whole soundtrack is simply a masterpiece and perfectly complements the pace of the narrative. When I finished watching it, it didn’t exactly leave me with a wholesome feeling, but now that I’ve had enough time to think about it and turn it over in my head, The Grand Budapest Hotel basically doesn’t have a single flaw and .... yes, I'm already looking forward to watching it again. (11.07.2014)