Sunday, June 29, 2014

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)



Directed by Wes Anderson
Produced by Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, Steven M. Rales, Scott Rudin
Screenplay by Wes Anderson
Based on the story of Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Mathieu Amalric, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Léa Seydoux, Jeff Goldblum, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Tony Revolori
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography: Robert Yeoman
Edited by Barney Pilling
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release date: 6 March 2014 (Germany)
Running time: 99 minutes
Country: Germany, United Kingdom


"The Grand Budapest Hotel" is an adventure comedy drama film which is written and directed by Wes Anderson. It's about the unknown author who made a trip to the Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968. One afternoon he encounters Zero Moustafa, the hotel's elderly owner. The owner tells the author the captivating story of how he took ownership of the hotel and why he is unwilling to close it down.


Cast
  • Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H.
  • Tony Revolori as Young Zero Moustafa
  • Adrien Brody as Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis
  • Willem Dafoe as J.G. Jopling
  • Jeff Goldblum as Deputy Vilmos Kovacs
  • Saoirse Ronan as Agatha
  • Edward Norton as Inspector Henckels
  • F. Murray Abraham as Old Zero Moustafa
  • Mathieu Amalric as Serge X.
  • Jude Law as The Author as a Young Man
  • Harvey Keitel as Ludwig
  • Bill Murray as Monsieur Ivan
  • Léa Seydoux as Clotilde
  • Jason Schwartzman as Monsieur Jean
  • Tilda Swinton as Madame Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (Madame D.)
  • Tom Wilkinson as The Author as an Old Man
  • Owen Wilson as Monsieur Chuck
  • Bob Balaban as M. Martin


The Grand Budapest Hotel looks like a doll's house, a really expensive doll's house. So it makes an atmosphere of a fairy tale. Actors bear resemblance to fantoccini in hands of a good puppeteer. As for the film in whole, there dominate bright colours which generate pizzazz. Moreover, the movie is full of selected grim humour and grotesque.

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" has a really interesting composition as it reminds a set of nesting dolls: a modern teenage girl, in whose arms there's a memoir of The Author, approaches a monument to a writer and she starts reading his book; then the action moves back in 1985 where The Author reads aloud the memories of 1968, when he has been spending his time in the Grand Budapest Hotel; there we get to know the story of Zero Moustafa which was happened in 1932. In my opinion, that's a brilliant idea to twist the plot like this!

I've known about "The Grand Budapest Hotel" because of Saoirse Ronan, one of my favourite young actresses. She has a remarkable appearance and she's undoubtedly very gifted. Therefore I'm not surprised that she's coped with her role amazingly. Agatha turned out very nice and sensitive but also quick-witted.

I was impressed by a great number of famous actors and actresses. It's only needed to mention Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody or Jude Law. Frankly speaking, I've recognised Tilda Swinton with difficulty as she was so marvellously made up!


Advantages
  • Wes Anderson
  • Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H.
  • Adrien Brody as Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis
  • Saoirse Ronan as Agatha
  • The twisted plot

Disadvantages
  • Some useless characters (Monsieur Chuck)

"Strangenesses"
  • The absurdity of the whole film

Clue Moments
  • The theft of the picture
  • The imprisonment

Our world is filled by people who aren't similar to each other and this film shows that it's exactly so. We can meet charming Monsieur Gustave, hard-working Zero Moustafa, greedy Dmitri Desgoffe or honest Deputy Vilmos Kovacs almost every day. I consider that the destiny of the person depends on the basic element of a character. Avarice will lead to meanness, at that time fascination will help a person solve any problem. And each of us can improve his or her best steak which will aid or spoil his or her life.


Soundtracks
  1. Alexandre Desplat -  S'rothe-Zauerli
  2. Alexandre Desplat - The Alpine Sudetenwaltz
  3. Alexandre Desplat - Mr. Moustafa
  4. Alexandre Desplat - Overture M. Gustave H
  5. Alexandre Desplat - A Prayer For Madame D
  6. Alexandre Desplat - The New Lobby Boy
  7. Alexandre Desplat - Concerto For Lute And Plucked Strings I. Moderato
  8. Alexandre Desplat - Daylight Express To Lutz
  9. Alexandre Desplat - Schloss Lutz Overture
  10. Alexandre Desplat - The Family Desgoffe Und Taxis
  11. Alexandre Desplat - Last Will And Testament
  12. Alexandre Desplat - Up The Stairs - Down The Hall
  13. Alexandre Desplat - Night Train To Nebelsbad
  14. Alexandre Desplat - The Lutz Police Militia
  15. Alexandre Desplat - Check Point 19 Criminal Internment Camp Overture
  16. Alexandre Desplat - The Linden Tree
  17. Alexandre Desplat - J.G. Jopling, Private Inquiry Agent
  18. Alexandre Desplat - A Dash Of Salt (Ludwig's Theme)
  19. Alexandre Desplat - The Cold-Blooded Murder Of Deputy Vilmos Kovacs
  20. Alexandre Desplat Escape Concerto
  21. Alexandre Desplat - The War (Zero's Theme)
  22. Alexandre Desplat - No Safe-House
  23. Alexandre Desplat - The Society Of The Crossed Keys
  24. Alexandre Desplat - M. Ivan
  25. Alexandre Desplat - Lot 117
  26. Alexandre Desplat - Third Class Carriage
  27. Alexandre Desplat - Canto At Gabelmeister's Peak
  28. Alexandre Desplat - A Troops Barracks (Requiem For The Grand Budapest)
  29. Alexandre Desplat - Cleared Of All Charges
  30. Alexandre Desplat - The Mystical Union
  31. Alexandre Desplat - Kamarinskaya
  32. Alexandre Desplat - Traditional Arrangement 'Moonshine'


Quotations
* * *
M. Gustave: You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilisation left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity. Indeed that's what we provide in our own modest, humble, insignificant...
* * *
Mr. Moustafa: 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 marvellous grace!
* * *
Deputy Kovacs: Did he just throw my cat out of the window?
* * *
Mr. Moustafa: There are still faint glimmers of civilisation left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity... He was one of them. What more is there to say?
* * *
M. Gustave: This is van Hoytl's exquisite portrayal of a beautiful boy on the cusp of manhood. Blond, smooth skin as white as that milk, of impeccable provenance. One of the last in private hands, and unquestionably the best. It's a masterpiece.
* * *
You may see the trailer here.


Plot: 9/10
Entertainment: 10/10
Acting: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Music and Sound: 8/10

9/10

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