When picking the movie I want to view for my blog review, there were several factors put in my decision making process. First of all, I wanted to see a movie that I had never viewed prior so I could write my first reactions about the film. But I wanted the film’s director to really wow me, and challenge the boundaries of what’s possible in cinema. And after a bit of inspiration from the viewing of the movie Rushmore, I decided to choose a movie that was from the mind of Wes Anderson. After further deliberation I decided upon The Grand Budapest Hotel for two reasons. A: I had not seen the film and according to my Grandma its critically acclaimed; and B: my mom had bought the blu-ray DVD set when it came out so I could watch it for free. So after a long Easter Sunday brunch, I finally sat down with my lovely mother to watch The Grand Budapest Hotel.

    The basic plot of The Grand Budapest Hotel goes as follows. The movie starts off with one of the main characters, the Author, recapping his one and only visit to The Grand Budapest Hotel.  He meets the mysterious owner of the hotel, his name is Zero. The Author is intrigued behind Zero becoming the owner of the hotel, Zero offers to dine with the Author and share his story during dinner. The story starts with Zero being hired as a lobby boy at The Grand Budapest Hotel, under the guidance of the witty concierge M. Gustave. Months go by with Zero under the mentorship of M. Gustave, growing the relationship between the characters as we progress through the story. M. Gustave. Inherits a priceless painting from a rich old lady he had prior relations with. The lady’s family is furious and when they discover the painting goes out of their possession, they go non stop trying to find it back. The movie portrays the schemes of M.Gustave and Zero as they evade being caught from the police as well as the hitman hired by the deceased lady’s family.  Eventually after a bunch of shenanigans which includes escaping jail, and clearing his name. Also a new will was found in the back of the painting which clearing M. Gustave of all things on the will. That is where the dinner and story ended.

 

After completing the movie,I noticed a few details regarding the mise-en-scene of The Grand Budapest Hotel. I want to credit the costume design and scene production of this movie. The outfits of all the different concierges from each hotel was brilliant, for example M. Gustave had a fitted purple suit along with the rest of the lobby boys who were also wearing purple attire. This color looked almost candy-like, which was personally a pleasing sight. It seemed that Wes Anderson had a clear and precise vision of what he wanted for his costumes, and he really killed it.

Another detail I noticed about this film was the unique camera work used throughout the film. Wes Anderson is known for his own style of putting scenes together. Something I picked up on very quickly was his use of framing. This was a style that seemed unique to Mr. Anderson, and was consistent throughout the film. Many his shots were symmetrically placed, which allowed focuses on specific element of a shot to bring light to something you may have no picked up in a different angle. Another camera style he used frequently was a frame within a frame. This allowed for the viewer to see from the actor/actress point of view. For example, when M. Gustave is in jail he was serving food to the other jailbirds. You would see the different zany characters who were locked up while Gustave was passing by. Wes Anderson’s use of camera panning was also fabulous. It allowed for the audience to follow along with the characters and extend the length of the scene. For example, when M.Gustave is first interviewing Zero for the job of Lobby Boy, the camera is panning along capturing their conversation as they walk quickly all over the main lobby. I enjoyed the panning a lot as it gave me a broader perspective of the different and wacky scenes within the film.

Another thing Wes Anderson does well with his shot selection in this film, is explain the settings and mood for the scene. He captures this all in simple way, yet it really immerses us within the story and flow of the movie. For example throughout the movie, it periodically cuts to  a long shot showing the massive Grand Budapest Hotel and diagonally sloping cable car to the top. This lets the audience become familiar with the setting, and the different moods and what they represent throughout the progression of the film. I can say from personal experience the first time they showed the shot of the Hotel, I was in awe at the beauty as I can bet other viewers had similar feelings. After watching the film, I found out through some research that he hand made the model for the hotel. It just goes for show what some filmmakers will do to get the shot that represents their unique views.

Overall I enjoyed the film tremendously and have a newfound respect and enjoyment for Wes Anderson. Overall the story was a bit odd, and it didn’t always make the most sense, but his character development, costume design, and camera styles really made for a pleasing experience. I’m glad I chose this film, and I’d recommend this film to any cinema lover, as it brings a unique style of cinema you don’t see everyday.

 

References:

Anderson, W. (2014). The Grand Budapest Hotel. United States: Luxx Studios.

Barsam, R and Monahan, D. Looking at Movies. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc, 2016. Print

Conklin, P. (May 2014). Frames of Reference: The Grand Budapest Hotel and the World of Wes Anderson. The Periphery.

When picking the movie I want to view for my blog review, there were several factors put in my decision making process. First of all, I wanted to see a movie that I had never viewed prior so I could write my first reactions about the film. But I wanted the film’s director to really wow me, and challenge the boundaries of what’s possible in cinema. And after a bit of inspiration from the viewing of the movie Rushmore, I decided to choose a movie that was from the mind of Wes Anderson. After further deliberation I decided upon The Grand Budapest Hotel for two reasons. A: I had not seen the film and according to my Grandma its critically acclaimed; and B: my mom had bought the blu-ray DVD set when it came out so I could watch it for free. So after a long Easter Sunday brunch, I finally sat down with my lovely mother to watch The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The basic plot of The Grand Budapest Hotel goes as follows. The movie starts off with one of the main characters, the Author, recapping his one and only visit to The Grand Budapest Hotel.  He meets the mysterious owner of the hotel, his name is Zero. The Author is intrigued behind Zero becoming the owner of the hotel, Zero offers to dine with the Author and share his story during dinner.

The story starts with Zero being hired as a lobby boy at The Grand Budapest Hotel, under the guidance of the witty concierge M. Gustave. Months go by with Zero under the mentorship of M. Gustave, growing the relationship between the characters as we progress through the story. M. Gustave. Inherits a priceless painting from a rich old lady he had prior relations with. The lady’s family is furious and when they discover the painting goes out of their possession, they go non stop trying to find it back. The movie portrays the schemes of M.Gustave and Zero as they evade being caught from the police as well as the hitman hired by the deceased lady’s family.  Eventually after a bunch of shenanigans which includes escaping jail, and clearing his name. Also a new will was found in the back of the painting which clearing M. Gustave of all things on the will. That is where the dinner and story ended.

After completing the movie, I noticed a few details regarding the mise-en-scene of The Grand Budapest Hotel. I want to credit the costume design and scene production of this movie. The outfits of all the different concierges from each hotel was brilliant, for example M. Gustave had a fitted purple suit along with the rest of the lobby boys who were also wearing purple attire. This color looked almost candy-like, which was personally a pleasing sight. It seemed that Wes Anderson had a clear and precise vision of what he wanted for his costumes, and he really killed it.

Another detail I noticed about this film was the unique camera work used throughout the film. Wes Anderson is known for his own style of putting scenes together. Something I picked up on very quickly was his use of framing. This was a style that seemed unique to Mr. Anderson, and was consistent throughout the film. Many his shots were symmetrically placed, which allowed focuses on specific element of a shot to bring light to something you may have no picked up in a different angle. Another camera style he used frequently was a frame within a frame. This allowed for the viewer to see from the actor/actress point of view. For example, when M. Gustave is in jail he was serving food to the other jailbirds. You would see the different zany characters who were locked up while Gustave was passing by. Wes Anderson’s use of camera panning was also fabulous. It allowed for the audience to follow along with the characters and extend the length of the scene. For example, when M.Gustave is first interviewing Zero for the job of Lobby Boy, the camera is panning along capturing their conversation as they walk quickly all over the main lobby. I enjoyed the panning a lot as it gave me a broader perspective of the different and wacky scenes within the film.

Overall I enjoyed the film tremendously and have a newfound respect and enjoyment for Wes Anderson. Overall the story was a bit odd, and it didn’t always make the most sense, but his character development, costume design, and camera styles really made for a pleasing experience. I’d recommend this film to any cinema lover, as it brings a unique style of cinema you don’t see everyday.