Wes Anderson crafted what - in the eyes of many - might well just be his greatest film in The Grand Budapest Hotel, an immaculately designed and brilliantly entertaining comedy yarn that poises Ralph Fiennes as a bumbling - but very efficient - hotel concierge, who - to his chagrin - one day finds himself caught up in a war between two countries in the 1930s. The design of the film is, as audiences have come to expect from the likes of Anderson, absolutely terrific, though - unlike the excessive and somewhat empty stylistic flourishes seen in lesser Anderson flicks like The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou - everything is grounded with an emotional kick that really hits home. But all that doesn't explain what makes The Grand Budapest so ripe for revisiting. In short, this movie is to be treasured and savoured like an antique dollhouse - every inch of its being looks to have been rendered with the utmost care and attention to detail, assuring that - on a purely aesethic level - you just want to go back to look at all the pretty things. It really is a good looking movie, this one - and it helps that its gloriously fun to watch, too.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
