I’ve decided Wes Anderson should direct a version of every movie ever made, of course that may just be because I want Bill Murray to act in every movie ever made.
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“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is Wes Anderson’s latest quirkfest, this time about a Hotel that is home to a story of intrigue, suspense, comedy, and more strange and wonderful personalities than you can shake a stick at. Starring Ralph FIennes, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, and a litany of other Anderson staple cameos, Budapest carries on the tradition of broad sweeping stories from a director who continues to lock in on his style. The truth is until recently I wouldn’t have considered myself a Wes Anderson guy, but after Fantastic Mr. Fox, and more recently Moonrise Kingdom I feel like he’s really finding a way to still embrace his style and not let the silliness distract from the story.
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Of course it helps when you have a cast like this, I mean, come on, when your smallest roles come from Owen Wilson, Jude Law, Adrien Brody, and Bill Murray, you know you’ve stacked the deck. But the standout, and easily the best thing, was Ralph Fiennes. Every second he is on screen as this Hotel Concierge is pure joy. There’s just something brutally nonchalant about his delivery and persona that meshes perfectly with an understated empathy and loyalty. It makes it very easy to root for him and stay invested in his ultimate outcome. He’s also given a lot of clever and hilarious dialogue by Anderson who has written what I believe to be his funniest script yet. I’ve smiled a lot at his movies before, but I’ve never heard a theater laugh out loud quite this much at his flicks. Of course part of that may be that I was in a room of Wes Anderson fans, who are prone to guffaw at his fringe style, but even so, I found myself laughing right along.
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Now, If I had to take issue with the film it would probably be with the conclusion. The story seems to sputter towards the end and may reveal that what we’ve really been involved in is more of a character study than a true story telling experience. Don’t get me wrong, I think there is something here of substance about friendship and dedication, but it’s not thick enough to really give the story any kind of oomph or have a solid lasting impact. You come away wishing you could spend more time with these people, but not necessarily resonating with any kind of deep truth. I should also mention that this one decidedly falls into more R rated territory, pushing those boundaries more than I’ve seen him do before. I do think it serves the story, but just a head’s up anyhow.
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Overall, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a wild romp and a lot of fun, with zany characters and a clever script that are probably enough to distract you from a weak story. Yes, Wes Anderson is an acquired taste, but apparently it’s one I appear to be acquiring. I give it an A-.
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