Watched.
My rating: 9.2/10
I don't know where to begin. Perhaps how I got to watch this film would be an appropriate beginning to this lonesome review.
The Grand Budapest Hotel has been in my watch-list for years; I had seen screenshots of it and heard great things about it. Not a day went by when I didn't wanted to watch this film because of it's enticing aesthetics. But, as it happens, I either forgot to watch it because of some other flick or I was just too afraid that it would disappoint me. My snowball of expectation grew bigger and heavier as it rolled down the slope of time. Entertainment emanated from the anticipation itself. To break this self perpetuating cycle of excitement was a scary prospect. "What if I didn't like it?" was the question of the hour. And then I pressed play...
And boy do I not regret having pressed it! Every shot- from the first shot- is meticulously framed with vibrant colours, akin to pastries in a bakery, fill the frame with such dominance that no matter how dull a creature you are, it'll without a doubt, successfully manage to stimulate your brain for it to release heavy amounts of dopamine. The pinks, the blues, the reds and the yellows, all leap out of the screen and sing their hymns of beauty. Looking at The Grand Budapest Hotel is tasting life on your eyes with all it's shades.
The sound design is masterful as well, paying attention to not only obvious sound effects such as the wind and footsteps, but to also little dings and chimes which add to the immersive experience. The background score couldn't have been any better because it easily elevates the scene rather than competing with it.
The film has two story lines: the present and the past. Most of the film runs in flashbacks from the past, as narrated by Mustafa, the current concierge and former lobby boy of the hotel. The flashbacks are framed in a boxy aspect ratio which makes the relentless speed of the film feel even faster. The present- filmed in widescreen- has a relatively slower pace which gives the audience the much needed moments to breathe.
Wes Anderson surreptitiously pulls out many tricks from under his sleeve; some subtle and some not so much. Every scene is blocked as if it were from a theatrical stage. Its a well oiled machine, is what it is. Every frame tells and there isn't a frame too many; like an ancient painting, it just unfolds and bestows upon us it's great revelations. The visuals are a direct translation of what it feels like to visualize a witty, suspenseful novel whilst reading it. The world of imagination where even drinking from a cup can be a grand gesture of much importance. It owes all that to it's brilliant script! It is eloquent and razor-sharp with it's dialogues with short bursts of vulgarity whilst maintaining intrigue for the characters and the plot.
The performances in this are like gears in a clock. The cast of this film surprises and keeps on surprising. Everyone is in this! Even Harvey Keitel, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Murray!
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a pure 21st century cinematic experience.
