![]() Seeing as how Anderson’s best work hinges on the mixture of humour and pathos, this would ordinarily be a problem, but, thanks to a winning combination of a good script and solid performances, it’s a surprisingly farcical and consistently funny piece. It’s also a relatively straight comedy film being as it is almost completely devoid of drama, a fact which may shock and appal the more conservative Wes Anderson fan to the point of involuntarily spitting up their Earl Grey over their matching checked khaki blazer and trouser combo. Amidst the layers and layers of celebrity faces (who, for the most, are relegated to ten second cameos of showing up and saying a few lines before curtseying and sodding off) it’s a relatively straight story, one which documents the high jinks that ensue when granny-baiting hotel concierge Ralph Fiennes is left a painting in the will of an old flame (a hideously geriatric Tilda Swinton), the jealous son (a moustache twirling Adrian Brody) who wants his head on a silver platter and the faithful lobby boy (newcomer Tony Revolori) who wants nothing more than to see him come out in one piece. Whilst it may seem like a bit of an indulgence, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a focussed and precise work barring a questionable story within a story within a story arc which seems to have only been made to cram a few extra stars in. It’s even more impressive given that this is a joint British and German production and that it was released right at the end of awards season, so everyone involved seems to be doing it out of respect or in order to hump the leg of Anderson’s success in the hopes that some Indie cred rubs off on them (strangely enough, Shia LeBeouf isn’t present). There’s the cast list for a start: a veritable who’s who of Anderson’s most frequent collaborators (and a few new faces as well), it’s a pretty impressive collection of stars. #TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF MY LOBBY BOY FREE#With mainstream titles like The Fantastic Mr Fox under his belt, Anderson has developed a pretty ardent and wide reaching fan base and first thoughts tell you that this is the work of a man who has free reign to do whatever the hell he wants. With this in mind, there’s something about The Grand Budapest Hotel that feels like a victory lap. Even recent teen sex comedies have taken note with the characters of Superbad and Knocked Up showing a deeper level of emotion and thought than simply ‘what vaguely vaginal pastry dish can I insert my penis into next?’ Strangely enough, Anderson’s blend of thoughtful drama and deadpan humour caught on and his influence can be felt today through Indie filmmakers such as Noah Baumbach, Jason Reitman and Richard Ayoade as well as the enormously successful Napoleon Dynamite. ![]() ![]() At the start of his career he was furrowing out his own corner in a comedic world that at the time had been dominated by gross out teen sex comedies and his films ( Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) offered up an alternative based on character, dry wit and pathos as opposed to adult men playing teenage boys putting their nether regions into things they really shouldn’t be put. Wes Anderson seems to have become something of an institution these days. ![]()
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