We’re going to start doing movie reviews each Friday. Living out in the boonies with data-capped internet access we don’t have the luxury of streaming Netflix movies and TV shows like we did when we lived in town. However, we still watch movies the old school way – on DVD. We were thinking it would be fun to document our weekly movies with reviews here on the blog. Having watched “Cars 2” approximately 78 times, I could write a lengthy dissertation on the abundance of cultural stereotypes in animated movies and their impact on young minds. But I’ll just say the first “Cars” movie is better and leave it at that.
So let’s dive right into “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” shall we?
We rented this movie by director Wes Anderson because we’ve loved some of his other movies, most notably “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Bottle Rocket.” DJ especially enjoys Anderson’s humor and flawed characters. Unfortunately, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” put us to sleep. Literally.
Told in flashback, the film is set in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between World War I and World War II and follows M. Gustave, a concierge at the hotel and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his friend. Ralph Fiennes plays Gustave who is drawn into some convoluted plot involving the inheritance of a priceless Renaissance painting. There are appearances by Wes Anderson movie regulars Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Edward Norton, but honestly I simply couldn’t get behind any of the characters. The sets were so intricately drawn up, the costumes so detailed and characters’ movements so precisely choreographed that I felt the movie tripped over its own cleverness. One has to appreciate director Anderson’s attention to detail but I really felt it got in the way of the story, which I wasn’t fond of to begin with.
So we will continue to be fans of Wes Anderson. This movie simply wasn’t our bag of chips. Have you seen this film? Did you like it? I would love to hear differing opinions in the comments.
So as not to end on a sour note, anyone have any movies they would recommend we add to our Netflix queue?
One of my critical standards for film: Did it keep me from falling asleep? Either you’re getting old, or you’ve been working too hard. I suspect the latter.
I have not seen this movie, so cannot add any comments on the film. I do, however, really enjoy reading the way you two write. You have a way with words that keeps me reading and NOT falling asleep! As to movie queue, I will think on it. Last night, my brother and hubby watched Independence Day on TV. I remember getting goosebumps when I actually saw that film in the theatre.