The Grand Budapest Hotel

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 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. (04/04/2014)

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)

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)