Wes Anderson seems to have taken one hoary old Charlie Chaplin adage to heart: "Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot."
Anderson, whose every film is a 'dramedy', has masterfully exploited the fine line between tragedy and comedy his whole career. 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is set against the most serious backdrop of Anderson's career — a fictional European Republic burdened by a war that seems to wait around every corner — and it's not a coincidence that it's also his broadest, silliest comedy.
The ornate, carefully crafted visuals and highly mannered performances of 'Budapest' soon give way to the realisation that, despite appearances, this is actually one of Anderson's rawest efforts yet. The loose, hilariously convoluted adventure story of a hotel concierge (Ralph Fiennes) and his young apprentice (Tony Revolori) on the run from the law doesn't really go anywhere; it's simply a vehicle for Anderson to make his grand, life-affirming statement about our right to laugh in the face of catastrophe.
Blessed with brilliant performances from Fiennes, whose comic timing is a revelation, and the incredibly rich supporting cast (Jude Law, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Ed Norton, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Mathieu Amalric and F Murray Abraham all impress in their brief screen time); overseen by a peerless director near the peak of his powers; and with something worthwhile to say underneath its sugar-coated exterior, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is a masterpiece.
5/5
'The Grand Budapest Hotel will open the Gold Coast Film Festival at BCC Pacific Fair Cinemas on Thursday April 3, with an encore screening on Sunday April 6. It will be released in cinemas on Thursday April 10.
