The Grand Budapest Hotel **** (R) Wes Anderson has established himself as Hollywood’s grand master of wry humor, having written and directed offbeat hits like Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket and Rushmore. With this deadpan dramedy centered around a fictional European luxury retreat for the era’s rich and famous on the eve of something resembling WW II, he’s outdone himself on all the eccentricities his fans have grown to love. In the near future, some hip dictionary will show the poster for this one besides its text definition for "droll".
The film is one man’s recollection of another man’s tale about how his fabulously successful life was shaped by the concierge of that eponymous resort, long past its glory days. The cast includes Anderson alumni like Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson in small, juicy roles, behind the funniest leading performance Ralph Fiennes ever delivered, or even contemplated. Like most of Anderson’s films, describing the plot tells you little about what makes the product such a gem. The tone’s the thing. In this case, delightfully underplayed dialog and movement, against superbly crafted settings (both the opulent and the stark), with a quirky musical score teasing the senses adds up to what may be his most satisfyingly artistic venture, even if it doesn’t reach the mass appeal of some of his others. No matter how much it grosses in general release, this one will likely be a cult fave for decades to come. If enough people find their way to the seats, we’re looking at an early contender for several categories in next year’s awards’ season.
Who better than Anderson to deliver minimalism on a larger scale? If that question doesn’t make sense now, it will after you’ve seen the movie. (3/21/14)