The Grand Budapest Hotel

A Neurotic · 20-03-2014 1:12am

cookiecakes wrote: »

Saw this for the second time yesterday and loved it even more than before. Ralph Fiennes is truly awesome in it. Loved young Zero too! I'm not sure if I've ever used this word before but it's absolutely delightful.

Ha! That's the exact word I'd use to describe it too. Loved it.

Mickeroo · 20-03-2014 2:59am

Saw this today, Anderson can generally do no wrong in my eyes anyway but this was probably his best film since Royal Tenenbaums. Laugh out loud funny, Fiennes was really great in it too, deserves a gong or two imo.

pixelburp · 23-03-2014 6:13pm

The use of the cake-shop as a plot & visual device was telling for me; as I walked from the cinema it kinda summarised my feelings of The Grand Budapest Hotel overall - the film felt like an elaborate & ornate cake, like something you'd see at a banquet; sumptuous to look at, delicious to eat yet ultimately full of empty calories, leaving me unfulfilled. I enjoyed it for what it was, but wouldn't want it to be the sole part of my diet.

Also, if I'm being brutally honest, Anderson's style can get a little wearisome after a while; the sheer volume of eccentric whimsy does compensate, and by & large I loved the period detailing and fairytale-like presentation, but the constant use of symmetrical shots and hard pans got old fast.

Like others though, I found Ralph Fiennes a joy; his effortless comic performance was tinged with enough pathos to make him more than just an ostentatious caricature and he really stole the show here. Also, it's great to see Jeff Goldblum back on the big-screen, his oddball mannerisms and demeanour perfectly suited the film.

parryowd · 23-03-2014 7:27pm

Saw this today, and it was absolutely incredible. I wasn't expecting much, because although I appreciate Wes Anderson's films, I've never liked them as much as the hype around it. So yeah I was expecting it to be ok. But I was blown away. Brilliantly written, brilliantly filmed, and brilliantly acted...

tok9 · 23-03-2014 11:48pm

Saw it a while ago and really enjoyed it. I must really go back over the movies Wes Anderson has worked as the only other one I've seen of his is Moonrise Kingdom.

Personally, I preferred Moonrise Kingdom but that is nothing against The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Loved the line on plots

"The plot thickens..... why do people say that, is it a soup metaphor?" :P

losthorizon · 30-03-2014 9:08pm

Am not a Wes Anderson fan I have to say (except for Fantastic Mr Fox) but this was incredible and funny and yes just fantastic. The humour, the jokes, the visual gags and the acting by all the cast was incredible.

Ralph Fiennes was fantastic I have to say. Some of his one lines had me in stitches.

I also have to say as someone who has traveled a lot in Eastern and Central Europe the look of the film was perfect. It felt we were dropped into the middle of fascist central europe in the 1930s and the feel and look was just perfect.

e_e · 30-03-2014 9:15pm

Looks like this film's had a great word-of-mouth effect on audiences. It went in at number 3, then to number 2 in its second week and now it's number 1. Can't remember the last time I've seen that with a new movie.

losthorizon · 30-03-2014 9:55pm

e_e wrote: »

Looks like this film's had a great word-of-mouth effect on audiences. It went in at number 3, then to number 2 in its second week and now it's number 1. Can't remember the last time I've seen that with a new movie.

Actually I was surprised this was playing at all at my local cinema.

Went to see it last Tuesday. Not exactly a busy night for movie going but it was packed.

Different sort of crowd as well - older than usual. Customers whom you really wouldn't see that often in the cinema. The last time I saw such an age profile was for Senna.

Gandalph · 01-04-2014 12:58pm

I seen this last night and thought it was absolutely brilliant, Ralph Fiennes was amazing! Zero's character was great too, I loved the way he carried that dopey look everywhere he went but still had that air of intelligence about him. I was bold and gave it a 9/10 on IMDB.

Warper · 01-04-2014 3:35pm

I was looking forward to seeing this as the trailer looked great. However I just couldnt get into the film as much as i wanted to. Generally speaking i am not a fan of Wes Anderson and i must admit i am not a big fan of this either. Yes, the scenery is brilliant and there are some great performances most notably Fiennes who is exceptional but the whole thing just wasnt funny imo. Like so much comedy you either get it or you dont and i didnt. Despite the hilarious trailer, the humour just never carried over to the movie for some reason.

two wheels good · 01-04-2014 8:32pm

I saw it last night at the Triskel , Cork. What a marvellous film! I'm still chuckling when I remember some scenes. Every frame was a gem. And he goes to such elaborate lengths for a fleeting scene. I want to watch it on DVD, with pause control someday. Not before I watch it straight through again though.

Soundtrack was good too - as already mentioned. Hopefully I can get some details on line to explore.

Now on my list: "Fab. Mr Fox". (Never really got into Royal T.'s or Life Aquatic.)

pixelburp · 03-04-2014 11:25pm

This is an interesting interview I thought worth sharing; the story of how 'Boy with Apple' came to be painted. Given Anderson's reputation, it doesn't come as too much of a surprise to learn the painting was a genuine, commissioned piece. I always love reading these types of stories, learning of the countless hours of artistry and craft that went into details that can often be otherwise fleeting presences in a film.

http://theweek.com/article/index/259203/the-untold-story-behind-the-grand-budapest-hotels-boy-with-apple

OldRio · 07-04-2014 9:54pm

An absolute gem of a film. Wonderful from start to finish. A joy.

Noise Annoys · 08-04-2014 1:43pm

I used to love Wes Anderson. Rushmore and The Royal Tennenbaums were great. But The Grand Budapest Hotel confirmed that I just cannot get with his whimsical fluff anymore. I thought it was dull, self-indulgent and pointless. I didn't think it was funny, even though Ralph Fiennes was mildly amusing at times.

After Moonrise Kingdowm I vowed never to go to another Wes Anderson movie, but got pulled into this one because of all the positive reviews. Well, I'll stick to my resolve next time!

catallus · 15-04-2014 11:40pm

It was just that; whimsical fluff, but all the better for that; I wasn't going in expecting any great shakes; It was entertaining, mostly, but it did feel like 100 minutes; At some points the film it feels like a tv movie, but the laughs are there.

Was Frank Whaley one of the hotel concierges in the telephones scene? IMDB says no but I swear I thought I saw him?

Anyway, it was ok, I suppose. I could go on about how it was stretching at times to maintain a needlessly frantic pace, or how the humour is actually mostly not very far from the toilet, but everyone onscreen seemed to be having fun. My main problem with it is that it tries really hard to be zany (and it succeeds mostly despite the over-elaborate embroidery) but the background to the whole thing is just that; over-elaborate. The double-act of Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori worked well. My favourite scene was the one where Zero was

reading from Gustave's letter from prison, and he started into the poem, very funny stuff.

GreNoLi · 03-06-2014 7:50pm

Hugely enjoyable, as another user mentioned, I felt the need to pause each scene before it unfolded.

Looking forward to watching it again whilst high.

daelight · 09-06-2014 4:39am

One of the best lines in a movie:

"He shook like a sh1tt1ng dog"

Skerries · 09-06-2014 4:12pm

I know I am in a Wes Anderson thread when words like absolute delight, whimsy and a joy are used

fruvai · 09-06-2014 6:45pm

Skerries wrote: »

I know I am in a Wes Anderson thread when words like absolute delight, whimsy and a joy are used

Don't forget 'quirky'

IvaBigWun · 07-12-2014 10:33pm

According to the Netflix thread its now on Netflix Canada.

Looking forward to this in the next couple of days.

two wheels good · 08-12-2014 12:51pm

It's rated No 9 in the Guardian top 10 of 2014

And now for something completely different .... showing tonight:
CitizenFour documentary with Edward Snowden, Glen Greenwald etc. Director Laura Poitras. Bound to be a few laughs listening to NSA lies.

28-02-2015 6:16pm

Just after watching this and it is one of the most delightful and whimsical films that I have even seen. A wonderfully demented mad cap tale which is visually stunning and the love and detail which went into each frame is evident. Like all of Anderson's work the most striking aspect of his films are not the gorgeous visuals or awe-inspiring scenery but rather the odd ball characters who inhabit them and in Gustav and Zero, Anderson may have found his most endearing and humane characters. Their scenes together are an absolute joy to behold and I think that I could happily spend hour after hour just watching them interact.

Shandashey · 01-03-2015 1:52pm

This was my favourite film of 2014 & I would have loved to have seen it win the Oscar for best picture.

happysunnydays · 01-03-2015 8:14pm

Mr Fantastic Fox is his masterpiece...because I don't have to watch him shoe horn in all his best Hollywood buddies in annoying and now clichéd 'quirky' character roles, I can just listen to the little voices and watch him make the the funny animals move...big laughs. After watching this though, I wonder has Mr Anderson discovered yet how to operate a camera, that's what I want to know? Every scene is so bloody artistically symmetricallyand sickingly contrived! Good gAwd! ...the overhead ski scene was funny though with the funny little stick men and rollicking chase music. I laughed ...and then I left.

OldRio · 02-03-2015 4:43pm

happysunnydays wrote: »

Mr Fantastic Fox is his masterpiece...because I don't have to watch him shoe horn in all his best Hollywood buddies in annoying and now clichéd 'quirky' character roles, I can just listen to the little voices and watch him make the the funny animals move...big laughs. After watching this though, I wonder has Mr Anderson discovered yet how to operate a camera, that's what I want to know? Every scene is so bloody artistically symmetricallyand sickingly contrived! Good gAwd! ...the overhead ski scene was funny though with the funny little stick men and rollicking chase music. I laughed ...and then I left.

Yeah, bloody great isn't it.

johnny_ultimate · 02-03-2015 4:51pm

I mentioned the Wes Anderson Collection earlier in the thread, but the author has recently released an absolutely stunning standalone book about Grand Budapest: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wes-Anderson-Collection-Grand-Budapest/dp/1419715712/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1425311148&sr=8-4&keywords=the+grand+budapest+hotel

It's an impressively comprehensive look at the film - three in-depth interviews with Anderson, interviews with most of the key creatives (Fiennes, Yeoman, costume designers etc...), and several excellent critical essays on the film (like a new version of David Bordwell's thorough, enlightening look at the film's aspect ratio and editing style). And it's magnificently designed too, the look of the book a gorgeous tribute to Anderson's style and quirks.

It's a fantastic celebration of an extraordinary film as well as a delightful slice of accessible, informative film criticism, and one that goes far beyond the perfunctory 'making of' stuff you find on the DVD / Blu-Ray.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

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