“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a comedy written and directed by the legendary Wes Anderson. The film was released in 2014 and is Anderson’s latest film. Like his previous works, it does not disappoint.
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” follows a book by someone named “the author,” played by Jude Law. This memoir goes into detail about a trip he takes to the Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968. When he arrives at the hotel, he sees that it’s rundown, with few customers. He sees a lonely man sitting down and asks the concierge who the fellow is. The concierge is surprised and tells him that he’s Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), the owner of the hotel. The author asks why Moustafa has chosen not to shut down the hotel. Moustafa does not answer the question and instead invites the author to lunch. From here on, Moustafa tells his story, revealing the majestic tale behind the mysterious hotel.
From nostalgia to a certain taste in palettes and colors to a love for symmetry, this film runs the gamut of classic Wes Anderson themes. Anderson has been praised for the picturesque setting and soundtrack. Don’t be confused by the title — this film was not filmed in Budapest. It was actually filmed in Germany and Poland. The Grand Budapest Hotel is not a real hotel either — Anderson’s inspiration for the quixotic pink hotel came from the Grandhotel Pupp in the Czech Republic and the Gellért Hotel in Budapest. The scenery matches perfectly with the quirky and upbeat soundtrack, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. But that’s not the only award the film has received.
It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture and garnered three more Golden Globe nominations, including Best Director for Anderson. It received a whopping 11 nominations for the BAFTA awards. It also got nine Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars.
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” captures you with its beautiful colors and sound, and makes you stay with its eccentric characters and story line. This is definitely not a film you want to miss, especially for free. Bring your mom, bring a date or go by yourself. The film will be playing at the Fort Douglas Post Theatre on Wednesday, March 2, free of charge.