This month Verve’s star teen reviewer Lucy Kennedy visits The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
R
Screenwriter and director Wes Anderson has a compelling visual language instantly recognisable by his cult following, brilliantly exemplified in The Grand Budapest Hotel. A film celebrated for its engaging plot and intricate, symmetrical beauty, from the moment it begins, you don’t want it to end – a viewing experience comparable to staring into a painting whose images play out before you, surreal and dreamlike. A staple of Wes Anderson’s work is his use of abrupt violence, out of place in the candy-coloured worlds of his films.
The film centres around The Hotel Budapest, a bustling 1930s European ski resort known for its style and luxury, told from the perspective of junior lobby boy Zero in his older years as he recounts past events that led to him becoming the hotel’s owner. The hotel is managed by concierge Gustav H., a man who prides himself on providing the highest quality of service to his guests. When a frequent visitor of the hotel, an incredibly rich elderly woman, passes away under mysterious circumstances, Gustav H. is left an invaluable painting, much to the dismay of the woman’s family. Unfortunately for him, he also finds himself the prime suspect in the investigation of her murder.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a superb example of Wes Anderson’s uniquely charming and humorous filmmaking.
Available to stream on Disney+.
5/5 stars
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