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Retrospective – High and Low (1963) | dir: Akira Kurosawa
Exploring the Hyper-Violence and Societal Manipulation of Gamer
Raw [2016] Red Band Trailer
If Not Now, When? – Interview with Film Writer/Co-Director Tamara Bass
The Beach House – Interview with Film Writer / Director Jeffrey A. Brown
Archenemy – Interview with Film Writer/Director Adam Egypt Mortimer
If Not Now, When?
Raghav MukerjiAdventureComedyDramaFilm Reviews Without Spoilers
The Grand Budapest Hotel [2014] is Wes Anderson's most recent film to date. The meat of the film is buried in several layers of stories. Set in and around The Grand Budapest Hotel, a fictional resort, in the 1930's, it follows Zero Moustafa and his employer-come-mentor, M. Gustave as they are entangled in a web of treachery surrounding a priceless painting.
The Hungry Hungry Hotel. Wes Anderson, as usual, creates a whimsical and wonderful world. Or should I say worlds? Each story exists within another and so each world slips under another one. With this in mind, each world Anderson creates is distinct and deliberate. The world of the aged Mr. Moustafa and The Author is flat, unexciting and deteriorating. Compared to the vibrancy of the world Mr. Moustafa describes his youth in, this world is somewhat less colorful and darker. The composition and movement in the frame too is an indication of the desolate and dire state of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Mr. Moustafa's story of his youth, however, is rendered in brilliant colors, swift and unrealistic movements and wonderful symmetry. All in a 4:3 aspect ratio. I love this because it communicates so much about the world and Mr. Moustafa without resorting to dialogue or inserts of exposition. The 4:3 aspect ratio not only creates some fantastic images but helps cement the story into the period of time it was set in. The symmetry, vibrancy, and the overall storybook feel tells us about Mr. Moustafa's infatuation with the past. He remembers it as perfect and beautiful, and I have to agree with him. It is.
"I go to bed with all my friends." The vast bulk of the film takes place in the, almost, fantasy world of Mr. Moustafa's creation. As such, like the visuals, the characters are exaggerated and outlandish. From cartoonishly violent, to overly friendly to brilliantly charming the characters seem to physically throw themselves out of the screen and forcibly etch themselves in one's memory. Each character is so beautifully simple until, for a moment, complexity shows itself. It's in these moments where the characters stop being caricatures and become people the film shines. These moments are endearing, heartbreaking and chilling. The performances echo this idea too. For the most part, they are flamboyant and exaggerated, though when the film jumps to Mr. Moustafa, old and alone, whose performance is restrained, the contrast again creates meaning without explicit communication of it.
Feeling buffet. The sheer selection of emotion the film offers is amazing. Whether it be side-splittingly hilarious or heart-wrenchingly sad, the film has so much to it. What's more, it never feels out of place or poorly judged. The film seamlessly swings from elation to panic, from relief to sadness from this to that, you get my point. This versatility is only matched by the performances Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori give. Both are amazing in their roles and adapt to every shift in tone with ease and finesse.
Boy With (Rotten) Apple. While the film is a decidedly a fun romp in a whimsical rendition of 1930's Europe, there are dark undertones which pollute those happy lands. Whether it be mentions of war or of great illness, the film's main story appears heavily doctored, so these darker elements are sidelined. I should say this is not a complaint. This, if anything, is what makes me love the film so much. As the story is told through the memory of Mr. Moustafa, what he hides from the viewer and how he chooses to tell the story tells us so much about him and how experienced his past. It's wonderful, complex and so well crafted. Themes of friendship, belonging, memory and love are effortlessly weaved into the tale.
Easy on the eyes and even easier to love. A rare and beautiful film.
5.0Overall Score
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20145 Star MoviesBest Films of 2014Ralph FiennesThe Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)Tony RevoloriWes Anderson
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Raghav Mukerji
Movie Reviewer/Contributing Writer
Editor, camera operator and aspiring Ryan Reynolds impersonator and stunt double.
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