Monsieur Gustave (Ralph Fiennes – The Invisible Woman) is the legendary concierge at the prestigious Grand Budapest Hotel. He begins a hapless adventure accompanied by his new lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori) to claim a priceless painting left to him after one of the hotel’s wealthiest patrons dies. This doesn’t sit well with her family estate and thus starts a cat-and-mouse pursuit that will require all of Monsieur Gustave’s wit and charm if he is to get out alive.
Perhaps Wes Anderson’s most ‘Wes Anderson’ film to date; The Grand Budapest Hotel is an utter delight from start to finish. This breathtakingly unique story delivers at every junction with a captivating style that bathes the eyes in wonder. This is a sumptuous looking movie that wraps itself around an intricately woven story full of delights, to cultivate one of the films of the year.
Ralph Fiennes sparkles as Monsieur Gustave, the infamous concierge at the Grand Budapest Hotel. Fiennes, so often the stalwart of British sensibility, hands in a career-best performance here. He utilises a comedic style and edge seldom seen before. Newcomer Tony Revolori plays his new lobby boy exceptionally well and we see the movie mostly from his perspective. Fiennes and Revolori share a wonderful dynamic and positively bounce off one another, especially during their conversations on the train and midway through a daring prison escape.
The prestigious supporting cast include Jude Law, Tom Wilkinson, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel and Bill Murray. All of them shine, especially Willem Dafoe’s despicable henchmen and Saoirse Ronan’s heavenly love interest. Edward Norton pops up in a small but pivotal cameo and F. Murray Abraham steals his scenes as the elusive Mr. Moustafa. Throw in the likes of Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton and you have the greatest ensemble of the year.
Covering everything from murder, intrigue, wealth and theft, this is a celebration of comedy and quirk with a collective cast to die for. The unmistakable visual style looks sumptuous throughout but it’s the biting script and wonderful characterisation that keeps you completely hooked. A hilarious and gloriously beautiful fable that’s unique in every sense of the word.
