Rating of
3.5/4
Crass & Violent Caper, Done the Anderson Way
Unknown - wrote on 03/31/14
'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is the most stylistic specific of all of Wes Anderson's films thus far. What I mean is, you can automatically tell this is part of the director's filmography at any given second. No complaints in that department. His unique sensibilities as a filmmaker are what make his best films most special, and I can certainly count this as one of his best. It's a quick, snappy comedic caper with quite a few surprises up it's sleeve. The characters, costumes, and sets are all pleasing in the usual Anderson sense. The story is what adds the most uniqueness to this outing. At no time was I sure where each scene would lead. This really is a caper that borderlines on a suspenseful level at times. Not in a traditional way, of course. There are moments of shock humor, including sexual situations and gruesome violence, that were most unexpected. But these moments added fully to my entertainment. The overall experience was just plain fun. Most surprising is how the drama and emotion escalate, along with the action, as the movie quickens in pace through the latter half. It's everything that I've come to like about Anderson's movies and a bit more. I have a feeling I'll be enjoying this one even more on repeat viewings.
