When we’re young, our parents urge us to try new things, especially when it comes to food, because we might just end up liking something we previously thought was gross. Maybe gross isn’t the right word.  As children, we might have steered clear of trying something new because it’s different and just isn’t our taste.

 

This is how I feel about Wes Anderson’s films.  They’re weird and different and just not for my taste.  Sure, I can see why other people like his movies, but they’re just not for me. So it goes without saying that I was in no hurry to see The Grand Budapest Hotel.  The film was released in March and I’m just now getting around to watching it.  My desire to see The Grand Budapest Hotel wasn’t driven by excitement, but as a prerequisite for my Awards season viewing.

 

Luckily for me, trying new things has carried into my adulthood and I’m thankful to my parents for instilling that in me at such a young age because The Grand Budapest Hotel is a stunning, unique film experience and easily one of the more memorable films I’ve had the pleasure of watching.

 

That’s not to say that Budapest doesn’t include some of the things that bug me about Anderson’s films, it’s just that it all came together for me this time.  I’m not really sure why.  Like most of Anderson’s films, almost every shot is meticulously composed and crafted.  You can almost see the production designers placing props and nudging them a quarter of an inch per Anderson’s request. The lighting is so beautiful and perfect that you can imagine a gaffer spending hours setting up the lights just to get that perfect hue and tone.

 

Despite the fact that I was acutely aware of the care that went into every single shot, it never detracts from the story.  I was instantly transfixed by these quirky characters (another Anderson trademark) and couldn’t wait to see what kind of crazy shenanigans they were going to get into next.

 

Budapest tells the story of Gustave, a legendary concierge at The Grand Budapest Hotel that is located in the fictitious country of Zubrowka.  The plot seems pretty ordinary at first glance, but trust me, there’s a lot to the story and it weaves its way to some truly unexpected places.  Much of Budapest plays like a 50’s road movie in the mold of the Martin/Lewis and Hope/Crosby classics, with a Wes Anderson twist, of course. The whole film revolves around a stolen painting, disgruntled benefactors, a ruthless hitman, a prison, a mountain top cathedral and much more. Trust me, it’s insane.

 

Most of the film is told via a flashback to the 1930’s as Gustave and his trusted lobby boy, Zero find themselves in increasingly dangerous situations.  Ralph Fiennes is charmingly funny as Gustave and it’s easily one of the best performances of the year.  What I found most refreshing about his character are his sudden bursts of vulgarity.  Many movies are overly populated by cuss words to the point where they have lost their weight.  In Budapest, the swear words that come out of Gustave’s mouth really cut like a knife because they are being spoken by somebody who seems so polite and mild-mannered.  In fact, they’re some of the funniest moments of the film because of this. 

 

On the surface, Gustave comes off as a prim and proper Englishman, the kind of forgettable character you’d see in one of those sleepy British films from the 60’s. That’s not Gustave, and that’s certainly not The Grand Budapest hotel.  You truly can’t judge a book by its cover, and you can’t judge a film by its poster or its trailer. Judging by the ad campaign, it would be easy to look at the bright colors that practically leap from the screen like a pop-up book and think that Budapest is a quaint film about a hotel.  In reality, the film is surprisingly violent and fairly dark in many ways.

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of the most visually stunning films I’ve ever seen. The use of color and lighting are blended to perfection.  The film has a surrealistic, dreamlike feel.  Since the narrative is being told through flashback, it also feels like a storybook.  I’ll be the first one to tell you that Wes Anderson’s films aren’t for everybody, but I urge everybody that is a true fan of cinema to give this film a chance.  There’s nothing else out there even remotely similar to Budapest.  It’s a one-of-a-kind film that very well might be a masterpiece.