By: Isaac Mathewson

Written and directed by: Wes Anderson

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton, F. Murray Abraham, Willem Dafoe

Rated R

My rating: A

I have always admired Wes Anderson’s work. His films, such as Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, have been regarded as classics due to their dry humor and dark situations, as well as their massive casts of celebrities. This film has not only proven to be one of his best, but is also a milestone in his fascinating career.

The Grand Budapest Hotel tells the story of concierge Monsieur Gustave H. (Fiennes) who takes a new worker Zero Moustafa (played by newcomer Tony Revolri) under his tutelage. He is convicted of the murder of one of the guests and is arrested. Throughout the rest of the film, the two of them race across the fictional Republic of Zubrowka to prove Gustave’s innocence. This is all being told to an author (played by Jude Law) by the elderly Zero (Abraham), over 30 years after the events.

What really makes the film stand out is the humor. Although it is very dark and mature, the film plays along with the situation and makes it lighthearted and goofy. While all of Anderson’s movies contain this kind of plot, this film takes it to the next level because it is more made for laughs and it does not have as much drama as some of his other films.

The cast is what really makes this film work. While many come and go, they are all a joy to watch and they fit their roles perfectly. There’s Edward Norton as the army officer on the hunt for Gustave, Saoirse Ronan as Zero’s girlfriend, Willem Dafoe as the assassin who’s also hunting him, and many others such as Wes Anderson regular Bill Murray (playing a much more minor role than fans may expect), Adrien Brody, Harvey Keitel, Owen Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum. I always love a good movie with a cast consisting of many famous actors, which is a main reason why I always look forward to seeing Wes Anderson movies.

The film has a very unique style to it. The film was shot almost entirely in Germany and every shot of the landscape is beautiful to look at. The cinematography is the best yet in his films. The editing is also very different, as it is faster than what he’s used to and it almost looks 3-D, even though it isn’t.

So far this film has been gaining more attention due to its box office take-ins and media hype. I’m glad that it has, because Anderson’s movies tend to not gain a very wide release. I can see why, his humor isn’t for everyone. However, this film is not worth missing. It has a great cast, a good story, and is extremely entertaining. It’s one of the best films of this young year, and it has a major shot at this year’s Oscars.