The Grand Budapest Hotel

[lurkerwithout]

Seemed a bit more violent at times then is normal for a Wes Anderson movie.  I mean a cat gets defenstrated.  A woman's head ends up in a basket.  Some fingers are violently removed.  Not that his previous movies were non-violent or anything.  This one just seemed darker somehow.  An interesting framing device is used as well, where the movie is a book being read by a woman that is narrated by the author from a story he learned from an old man who was relating the tale of his youth.  Its like four layers of story or something.  About a hotel conceirage framed for murdering one of his various wealthy old lady lovers.  Set in not really WW2 Germany.  Basically Madeupastan in Europe.  Clever and darkly funny like most of Anderson's movies.  Jeff Goldblum and Ralph Fiennes make nice additions to the regular cast of Anderson actors also...

Comments

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

I saw this with a friend last week. I found it an interesting little trifle, though I was quite surprised at the amount/level of acting talent that had signed up for such an oddball dark comedy.

One thing my friend confirmed, however: it is not uncommon for tourists in Europe to visit the grave of a famous author and read a chapter from the author's work while there; it's apparently considered to be a "sign of respect". Thus, the outermost "framing device" for this movie is actually based on an old and respected tradition...