The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel, in model miniature

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a wonderful Wes Anderson film. If you are a fan of Wes Anderson then you likely already have this on your radar to see soon, if you haven't already. If you don't know Wes Anderson, well, how do I describe him to you?

Wes Anderson in his director's chair

A creative worldly dynamo from Texas, he loves to create entire worlds for his films, being the writer, director and producer for most of them, TGBH included. I think Moonrise Kingdom is still my fave film of his but this one is a very close second. Stylistic, funny and dark...you will not be bored during one of his films!

Gustave H and lobby boy Zero

Ralph Fiennes lives it up as a very hammy concierge (Gustave H.) of a fictional hotel between the wars in a fictional Eastern European country with his sidekick Zero Moustafa (played by brilliant newcomer Tony Revolori).

Told as a story within a story, we hear the tale through a dinner conversation between the now grown lobby boy (F.Murray Abraham as the adult Zero) and a guest at the now run down hotel (Jude Law as "Young Writer").

It would seem Anderson has no problem enticing big name stars who love offbeat films. Saoirse Ronan as Zero's love interest and Tilda Swinton as one of Gustave H's elderly female guests are just a few of the names you may recognize. Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe...the list goes on and on!

So I will end with the official trailer and let you decide if it is something you want to see. Personally, I am still smiling! The Squire just looked over my shoulder as I played the trailer and said "That film was entertaining but different." I will leave it at that. :)