The Grand Budapest Hotel Reviews

Si les cuento de una película comédica que de verdad te da una patada en el estómago cuando debe, sin dudas esa sería El Gran Hotel Budapest. Esta cosa participó en los Oscar de 2014 pese a que no fue recomendada masivamente y se llevó una buena porción de las estatuillas, que hasta el día de hoy los fanboys de Nolan andan lloriqueando que Interestelar debió ganar a la mejor banda sonora, aparte de por poco llevarse al de mejor película y Director ¿acaso estos reconocimientos están justificados viniendo de una comedia?

En el área artística no decepciona en ningún fragmento por los detalles directivos típicos de Wes Anderson: la paleta de colores minuciosa en su selección al punto de que siempre hay una combinación especifica por escena, el corte de 4:3 que le da ese aire a cine viejo, las escenografías detalladas que te transportan a la época, todo con pocos—si nulos—efectos computarizados, sin hablar de los vestuarios extravagantes, los accesorios o las actuaciones caricaturescas. Sabes que una película se esmera en su perfección cuando hasta las transiciones juegan un rol en el sentido de humor de la cinta con esa simetría estricta que cambia de salta de plano con inexistentes variaciones generales, como si quisieran emular un teatro. Igualmente, la banda sonora folclórica con instrumentos del este de Europa y matiz alegre le quedan de maravilla tanto por el tono como por la zona geográfica que desea ambientar.

La trama es una historia dentro de otras historias; un truco que se usa para edulcorar con capas múltiples y que en cierto punto nos dé una impresión de estar escuchando los cuentos de los viejos sobre la vida en los tiempos de antaño, como escuchar a tu abuela hablar de su exnovio yugoslavo sobre maravillas de la era de Tito (no lo hacía a cada rato conmigo de todas formas v:). Si les aburre la descripción, no se preocupen que la película es cualquier cosa menos aburrida, el paso de un punto de narración a otro es rápido y vamos a la acción a todo vapor. Si por ritmo nos referimos, es una preciosidad que logra empaquetar una biografía de mediana complejidad en hora con cuarenta. Supongo que se debe más que nada a los apresurados cortes y transiciones, un logro tanto visual como narrativo, aunque puede dar la sensación de vértigo cual actor esnifado con tres líneas previo a salir al escenario. No es como que no pueda afectar la trama tal cual, dado que tienes lo que se necesita para que cada tajo valga la pena.

El cast es extenso, con su debida participación, con tal que nadie sobre ni menos. Hay segmentos de protagonismo propios e individuales en vez de centrarse de lleno en aquello que Zero o su maestro Gustav anden haciendo al momento. Sus caracterizaciones son muy marcadas tanto por cómo actúan como por lo que hacen. No nos da un cast que vaya más de dos dimensiones—muchos son unidimensionales—pero clarifica sus personalidades, motivaciones y añade un alto carisma. Hay tantas peculiaridades y diversidad entre los mismos que dificulta no recordarlos. Si hay que reconocer una verdad sería que rayan en lo caricaturesco con esto del humor seco lleno de expresiones raras y serias, o momentos donde se narra más con estas actitudes que con el dialogo.  Preferencias aparte, dicho elemento eleva en lugar de rebajar, dado la sutileza actoral con performances que esperarías de una caricatura de los años 40s. Los principales, aparte, cargan un lado sentimental y una química muy buena; realmente te convence la relación entre el chico del lobby y el conserje al mando del mantenimiento del hotel sin exceptuar lo que le rodea: La relación romántica con Agatha o la jovialidad del compañerismo de una logia o burdos criminales—añadido a la asistencia y manutención del hotel—son la clase de relaciones que vuelen ver el enredo de tramas como muy personal, romántico y cuasi mágico. En verdad que, si por caracteres se refiere, el pastel se lo lleva con listón de oro.

Que dicho sentimiento de anécdota endulzada no les engañe, es una película muy oscura y con un humor negro que se basa en reírse de un montón de problemas que eran típicos de la primera mitad del siglo XX. Lo que tenemos aquí es un embrollo de conspiraciones causado por un misterio de asesinato y una herencia valuada en millones para nuestros estándares. Los personajes huyen de la ley mientras hay muertes que te dejan perplejo por lo violentas que llegan siendo en una cinta caricaturesca. Está en evidencia que es por efecto cómico del autor el mezclar con comentarios que para muchos les parecerían políticamente incorrectos en nuestros días de discordia correccional; me ha gustado ese elemento, están en una época de temperamento distinto al moderno. Respecto a la conspiración en sí, es muy complicada por la cantidad de personajes involucrados, más debo comentar que nunca tropieza en sus pretensiones. Si querías algo carismático, movido y orgánico lo tienes. Para algunos, se les hará de mal gusto o bizarro, lo que ahuyentara a mucha audiencia por esta rara mezcla entre tierno y hasta moe (a ver si no me linchan aquí por otaku) con este entramado tan tenso y siniestro. Para mi es cierto a medias; que no sea la cosa más concisa o de mayor complejidad temática o narrativa no elimina el mérito de evocar una multitud de sentimientos en el espectador—es estilo sobre sustancia, al fin y al cabo. Puedo decir que al menos deleita más que cualquier película de acción: tiene drama, acción, comedia, suspenso y demás sin un ápice de disonancia o falta de armonía entre los tonos.

Así que, para ir cerrando, me gustaría comentar que me han encantado los temas de la película, que, aunque muy por encima, he podido apreciar más y más a medida que la he ido reviendo. Esta ambientación es más importante de lo que nos deja entrever desde un inicio, y si bien la trama va de los personajes huyendo y escapando de la ley, si uno lo ve en secuencia puede notar como nos narra acerca del graso cambio generacional en la zona donde se desarrolla y como afecta la personalidad de cada quien. Gustav es un hombre refinado como si se hubiese atascado en la era victoriana, Zero narra desde su vejez las maravillas del hotel previas a la guerra, mucha gente muere a causa del caos político-social y en tiempo presente pareciera que la magia de esa época se ha desvanecido, como si nunca se pudo levantar de nuevo. Eso de que era una hermosa ruina no es una simple frasecita sentimental, pues remarca como, y yendo al grano, han acabado naciones en la vida real en tiempo presente, en especial Europa. Podrá parecer que hoy por hoy el viejo continente es una tierra avanzada y lo que quieran, pero también es verdad que nunca logró superar cosas como la segunda guerra mundial en ciertos sentidos—no por nada son tan dependientes de la OTAN—aparte de que esa época de nobles se esfumó por lo vivido en aquellos tiempos. Debemos recordar que hubo naciones que fueron en su momento grandes e importantes imperios, pero que pasaron a la irrelevancia y a la decadencia, o peor, que cesaron de existir. El hotel no es más que una sombra de lo que fue en sus años de gloria, como lo fueron los imperio español, británico o austrohúngaro (su principal inspiración), o si hablamos de América, la gran Colombia o el imperio mexicano. Joder, que yo aún recuerdo tener libros de mis abuelos sobre Yugoslavia y Checoslovaquia. Estos cambios traen enormes secuelas en la población, las que podemos ver al final en todos los personajes, de cómo gente se ve forzada a emigrar o adaptarse a regañadientes, y en el propio ambiente ahora mundano, casi abandonado y deteriorado del hotel. No les miento si digo que me resulta un tema que pocas veces haya visto ser tocado y que te hacen apreciar la historia y los buenos relatos, con cierta nostalgia e idealismo de los valores de antaño.

En fin, esta es una preciosidad de película, recomendada a todos aquellos que busquen una comedia refinada que no se acobarde (sin importar lo edgy) y definitivamente de mis películas favoritas de todos los tiempos. 

«Sono le storie a venire incontro ai grandi scrittori»
www.ilariapasqua.net/apps/blog/show/43022304-grand-budapest-hotel-w-anderson-usa-2014-

I first heard about Wes Anderson about two years ago and decided to watch the most acclaimed movie of his until that point, which was "Moonrise Kingdom", and i thought that the movie was awful, no story just style, very boring, waste of talent, and completely absurd, but i thought it as no big deal, because many of the critically acclaimed movies are trash. but in 2014, i heard about this movie, and decided not to watch it because it's Wes Anderson again, but then it received 9 Oscar nominations including 'best picture', so, i thought hey "it's Wes Anderson again, but maybe he decided to add a story this time, not just the style" and i was completely wrong, as this movie is slightly better than 'Moonrise kingdom' which is still pretty awful.

Okay, first of all, the idea of switching the resolution to 16*9 is stupid, i mean, why would i do that in order to watch a movie? what, now, wide screen is too mainstream? and it isn't 16*9 entirely, because when Mr. Moustafa narrate the story, it's 16*9, but when we see him talk with the writer (played by Jude Law), it's wide screen again, and that's pretty awful way to start your movie.

The movie starts with a girl grabbing a book, reading from 'Mr. Writer' who was played by Jude Law when he's younger, and Tom Wilkinson when he's older, which tells the story of Zero Moustafa, whose narrating the story of him escaping his town after the war and how he came to work as a lobby boy for M. Gustave in the Grand Budapest Hotel. M Gustave is the owner of this very fancy Hotel in which most of his clients, are older women, including Madame D. (played by Tilda Swinton) who leaves him a very expensive and rare painting (called 'Apple Boy') after she dies. not willing to give it away are her family, mostly her sons, Dmitri (played by Adrien Brody) and her assassin's looking other son Jopling (played by Willem Dafoe), so M. Gustave decided to steal the painting, with the help of zero, promising him a percentage of the money if he sold it. M. Gustave then gets imprisoned for stealing and start planing a way out of prison with his cell buddies.

To give credit when credit is due, the movie looked awesome, although, a square screen doesn't let you fully appreciate the cinematography, but it was great nonetheless, there was intently noticeable amount of camera work, and the production design was masterful, and filled with so many details, and it helped switching from one scene to another by simply switching the camera to the right, left, up or down. there's also that symmetric thing that Wes Anderson's fans crazy about, which i don't find very useful, i mean, yeah, all frames looked beautiful but it's a movie not a picture slide show, specially that Wes Anderson forced so many frames just for the sake of looking beautiful, not for the sake of being logical at all. most of the time, he's just trying to fit as much people as he can in one frame, sometimes, it doesn't make any sense, like when, M. Gustave got imprisoned, and send a word to his hotel staff, with some poetry at the end, they showed M. Gustave in one frame with all the prisoners and the security all at once just standing behind him, which is like a WTF thing, and maybe this is just me, but i don't think this symmetric thing allow actors to explore/react/move because they should be standing at the same point until the end of the scene.

The movie had an obscene amount of wasted talents, it's shocking and irritating, and the most wasted cast since 'Moonrise Kingdom'. so many good actors are there just to make the frame look famous, there was not much to it, most of them didn't even have screen time, or had but few unmemorable lines, which is weird, since most of them, are A-listers, so the fact that they were brought up for the shortest cameos ever, just goes to prove that they either came for a curtsy of someone, or, were offered a large amount of money, because none of them even make a semi-impact line.

The performances were mostly good, specially by Ralph Fiennes, but the "humor" weren't working for me most of the time. at some points, i was asking myself, 'should i laugh now?' and i'm crazy about dark/black comedy, but the writing in this one was too sophisticated to be funny, and you can tell, they're trying to build this sophisticated atmosphere by using these fancy words, and the movie had a terrible ending, just stupid, semi-depressing ending (if you cared enough). the way they closed the story was not necessary at all nor funny.

Overall, i think it was a movie to showcase style, cinematography and production design featuring some good looking people staring at you from across the screen, not more, so, this wasn't my cup of tee and it won't be your's if you're not a fan of Wes Anderson, it's mostly for hipsters, and people who seeks something different from mainstream or indie movies, and i don't think the academy nominations are going to change my mind about this trashy flick.

Wes Anderson is quite a unique director who always makes his films visually remarkable. He is known for his constant unusual visual storytelling that always works well for him including this film. The cast here is massive and full of huge stars. It's got quite the story-ception going on. I can't say I enjoyed the constant use of unnecessary narration though. The dialogue is quite good and the actors execute their lines masterfully. The atmosphere of the movie is hilarious which makes it even funnier that the characters are so serious about things. I thought the characters themselves were quite interesting. I actually enjoyed this much more than I thought I would and I'm not even entirely sure why that is. Wes Anderson continues to be an unusual yet exciting director that no one can duplicate. If you enjoy his movies then this should be the next film you watch.

Perfectly my kind of movie - not too serious, a visual treat and intriguing enough to just slightly wonder. Great acting by Ralph Fiennes, love how flamboyant he is. Love the costumes and the sets and the scenes and the details. Love it and will gladly watch again.

As enchanting and rich in details and 'humanly nechanic' as one of those playful clocks in Eastern Europe churches. ¡What a cast! Each actor enjoys his lines.

As enchanting and rich in details and 'humanly nechanic' as one of those playful clocks in Eastern Europe churches. ¡What a cast! Each actor enjoys his lines.

2014 is making a comeback with masterpieces like 'The Lego Movie' and 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'. 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is one of the funniest movies of the year.

Ralph Fiennes does a hilarious job on screen and is on screen 95% of the time with another famous actor like Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum or Owen Wilson. The ensemble cast is great!

'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is constantly funny but contains dark images of severed body parts! Do not be alarmed, it's not for very long, but I wasn't expecting it. Of course it said in the 15 certificate though. Laugh hard at this movie! I did!

One of the director I always look forward to his movie release is that Wes Anderson. Well, who don't like his movies if they are aware of his masterworks. He's one of the unique filmmakers with extraordinary ideas. I always love his screenplay, especially his miniature cinema sets. He believes in those technics and presents on the screen awesomely than completely done with computer graphics. In this movie as well he used them very nicely and gives pleasure to watch it.

As usual this movie too a comedy with director's traditional actors in it. A comedy that set in the backdrop of a hotel theme and their employees. This hotel is called 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' located on the edge of the Alp mountain in a fictional EU country Zubrowska. The story proceeds with the two layers of flashback to the years 1968 and 1932. It unfolds the life story of Gustave, prestigious hotel's caretaker and his pupil Zero, a lobby boy. Theirs struggle over the accusation of a crime and the other side world war is on a verge to invade the nation. Whether they successful to defend against the charges or not is the remaining story speaks.

Nice story and performances with eye catching visuals. Easily one of the best of this year. It looks very ordinary if it was a usual style movie, but Wes Anderson's touch made all the differences. The adventures are the highlights in all of his movies and so in this movie. Lots of whites and pinks you can see on the screen which is kind of trademark of this movie. In this humour movie violence partially attached, but safely avoided all the cruelties. With the lend of Saoirse Ronan character the story exploits a little bit youthful romance side. The introduction of other characters in the middle of the storytelling made more venturesome in the later parts.

I kind of doubt to suggest it if you are unfamiliar with Wes Anderson's earlier works. You should better start with them before committing this movie. There's a reason, because you may not indulge it like my friend who saw this with me who never hear the director. Otherwise, it is..., of course it is another masterwork by Wes. Anyway, I loved it and waiting for his new project announcement.

Comparing Wes Anderson’s films to a Swiss Watch is an accurate comparison, but that gives a false impression of his films as mechanical and cold. On the contrary, Anderson’s films spark with a wit and stylization that is at once like a storybook and a monument to artistic stuffiness and singularity of vision. With each subsequent film, Anderson is refining his style, loading up his stories with gags, star cameos, subdued emotions, and playful artifice. The Grand Budapest Hotel might just be the apex of this work thus far.

Grand Budapest is a memory play, one fraught with strange plot twists and Anderson’s unique brand of precociousness. Told from the perspective of Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham as an elderly man and newcomer Tony Revolori as a young man), The Grand Budapest Hotel details the events leading to Moustafa going from lobby boy to owner of the decaying hotel. The story includes a murder mystery, a priceless work of art, and a heavy gloss of farcical whimsy.

The hotel remains a towering monument reminder of Europe’s prewar Belle Epoque, and plays an elegy to that long lost period. The film takes us back to a period in time when the service industry wasn’t frowned upon, and no other character more perfectly personifies this idea than Gustav H (Ralph Fiennes), the former concierge. Gustav is an effete man who entertains wealthy patrons to keep his high-class aspirations and lifestyle in check. He doesn’t just perform his duties, he feels a deep connection and responsibility to them. The comfort and adoration of his guests and staff isn’t just a piece of corporate jargon for him, but a lifelong dream and tremendous source of pride.

When one of his favorite clients (Tilda Swinton, in an amusing cameo) turns up dead, Gustav discovers he’s the recipient of an incredibly valuable painting. Her son (Adrien Brody, snarling and amoral) tries to pin her mysterious death on Gustav and reclaim the painting, and what transpires is equal parts Ernst Lubitsch fantasia and James Bond-style action set pieces and intrigue. And it winds up being a little sad about the passage of time, how the sweet innocence of this time is about to be eradicated by the rolling storm of WWII. But Grand Budapest is still mostly funny.

Anderson is known for getting great work from his actors, and no one shines brighter in this than Fiennes. Has he been secretly hiding his gifts as a comedic actor for any particular reason? He shines brightly here, turning up a memorable performance that should get him awards season contention if there’s any justice, but we’ve still got a long way to go before nominations for that begin. Anderson regulars Brody, Willen Dafoe, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Jeff Goldblum, and Swinton all turn in fine work, much of it in smaller character parts. Abraham mostly shares scenes with Jude Law, and they have a nice back-and-forth and do well with what they are given. Tom Wilkinson, Mathieu Amalric, Saoirse Ronan, and Lea Seydoux all make appearances, not given too much to do, but adding their distinct charms to the overall effect.

But much of the film rests on Tony Revolori, and he gives a great deadpan performance. He must go from wide-eyed youth in awe of Gustav to his protégé and end up as the proactive hero of the story. Revolori must assail the various cameos and plot twists, helping Anderson keep the numerous plot strands working in perfect harmony. It’s a lot to ask of a young actor to hold his own against actors of Ronan and Fiennes caliber, but Revolori does an admirable job.

The Grand Budapest Hotel sounds like many plates spinning in the air, but Anderson makes sure they never waver or falter. Anderson finds a great rhythm that makes the entire story come together and continually move at a great energy. We’ve come to expect a certain matter of farce, melancholy and whimsy with Anderson, and he doesn’t disappoint. Yet here he is adding new layers to his oeuvre by trying to do some action, unapologetic romanticism and he does both supremely well. But did I mention the frantic humor, and that Grand Budapest is a charming comedy?