the grand budapest hotel

In Case You Missed It – June 2014

by MCDaveJune 22, 2014

As we cross over from the Spring to Summer season, we’re given a stellar crop of DVD releases this month. Normally, once May rolls around, no distribution company is looking to compete for money with the big blockbusters that arrive in theatres every weekend. However, this June we’re given some fine titles to choose from, including my number one choice from 2013’s Top Ten Films.

#1. Lone Survivor

As a college instructor and a movie critic, people who know me are aware that I’m far from an “easy A”. While many moviegoers and cinephiles labeled 2013 as an amazing year for movies, I’ll agree that there were an enormous amount of strong titles, but very few moved me and stirred my passion. Enter the late-year release, Lone Survivor, from director Peter Berg. Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch star as members of a Navy Seal team sent into the mountains of Afghanistan on a mission to kill a high ranking Taliban leader. While doing their reconnaissance work the mission becomes compromised and the choices the soldiers make will effect whether they live or die, in this retelling of the true story behind Operation Red Wings. Lone Survivor is more than just a shoot-em-up war movie, it tells a truly amazing story that goes well beyond the battlefields. You definitely shouldn’t pass up on 2013’s most inspiring film. (June 3rd)

#2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Although I’ve never been a huge outspoken fan of Wes Anderson’s earlier works such as Rushmore or Life Aquatic, the director has certainly elevated his game in recent years. With 2012’s indie success, Moonrise Kingdom, making a firm impression on his career, Anderson’s newest feature nearly matches the effort. Leading man Ralph Fiennes puts on his finest acting display in over 15 years with this light-hearted and wacky role. The film’s star is both charismatic and enchanting in his portrayal of the oddball concierge Gustave H. And in an expected trademark move by Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel boasts an extensive list of actors and actresses in varying roles such as Jude Law, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton (just to name a few). However, no matter how fun it always is to spot these stars in random scenes, Fiennes is the glue that holds it all together. On the shoulders of a top flight lead performance and another fabulously written screenplay by Wes Anderson himself, The Grand Budapest Hotel makes for an entertaining source of laughs and intrigue.

#3. Alan Partrigde

Although actor/writer Steve Coogan broke onto the scene in a big way throughout 2013, thanks to his writing and supporting turn in the Best Picture Nominee, Philomena, the comedy performer’s return to a regularly assumed role as radio host, Alan Partridge, generated laughter world-wide. Named for its title character, Alan Partridge finally made its way to the states in late February. However, I had the pleasure of catching this little British comedy gem at the Philadelphia Film Festival back in October. Partridge stars as a egotistical disc jockey who learns that new management is coming to the radio station and planning to make some changes. Rather than risk his own job, Partridge desperately lobbies for upper management to terminate his colleague, Pat Farrell. The higher-ups follow Partridge’s suggestion and a disgruntled Farrell takes matters into his own hands by holding the entire radio station at gunpoint. Leaving only the dim-witted Partridge to save the day. Alan Partridge is an “out-there” British comedy filled with plenty of humor and outlandishness. If you have a sweet tooth for such films, it’s worth giving Alan Partridge a try. (June 10th)

Honorable Mention: My secondary choices are mostly filled with titles I haven’t seen myself, but ones that I’ve heard mixed-reviews about from friends of mine. The Robocop reboot (6/3) finds its way to DVD this month as well as other action titles such as Non-Stop (6/10) starring Liam Neeson and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (6/10) starring Chris Pine. The raved about family film The Lego Movie (6/17) also arrives this month, as well as the festival darling Joe (6/17) starring Nicolas Cage and Tye Sheridan. Fans of premium channel shows may also want to check out Showtime’s Ray Donovan (6/10) and HBO’s True Detective (6/10) which are both new to DVD this month as well.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: The Grand Budapest Hotel

by MCDaveMarch 25, 2014

After enduring an elongated journey to the Oscars this year, thanks to the awards show’s refusal to compete against the Winter Olympics for viewership, it felt as though the 2014 cinematic year would never get going. Early offerings such as The Monuments Men and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit generated initial excitement that managed to wear off quickly. But finally, nearly two and a half months into the year, Wes Anderson strikes again and delivers a film worthy of praise. The long-time director’s latest work, The Grand Budapest Hotel, also proves to be one of his finest to date.

Anderson’s movie follows an author’s fond recollection of the adventures surrounding legendary hotel concierge Gustave H. (played by Ralph Fiennes). The prominent figure at the famous Grand Budapest Hotel develops a strong bond with his trusty protege and lobby boy, Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), as the pair find themselves entangled in a web of murder and incarceration thanks to a priceless painting known only as “Boy with Apple”. Gustave and Zero must work together swiftly in order to free their names and survive the pursuit of a ruthless henchmen named Jopling (Willem Defoe).

Despite the feature’s winning array of perfectly timed jokes and hysterical dialogue, The Grand Budapest Hotel seems to suffer from flaws that typically run rampant throughout Wes Anderson’s catalog of work. With a bloated emphasis on style and setting more so than the characters themselves, Anderson occasionally misses the mark by failing to create depth to his onscreen personae. It goes without question that the colorful scenes are visually appealing and the director has coined a unique and stylistic approach of his own, but his films generally lack the necessary emotion to move audiences and elevate the works to new heights. Instead, we’re left with a “wordy” script containing a fair amount of humor and an excess of vibrant imagery.

Well-paced and delightfully pleasing, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a second consecutive entertaining product from the highly-regarded writer/director, Wes Anderson. Although I continue to wait for the filmmaker to turn the page with his career and take a bold step, I’ve still managed to find a semblance of enjoyment in his recent efforts. Good, but not great, fans of the quintessential Anderson-style are sure to appreciate The Grand Budapest Hotel.

GRADE: 3.5/5

Check out plenty of other fun reviews, trailers and movie news at MCDAVE’s Host Site

Fall Into ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ With The First Official Trailer

by Cameron ShooshtariOctober 17, 2013

Wes Anderson fans rejoice, the imaginative director’s latest project ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ will be upon us soon and from the trailer we can already see that this movie is filled to the brim with many talented actors. Just how many actors? Well, reddit user FennekFox goes into just how much talent is in the film:

“Overall a ridiculously impressive cast. You know how many Oscar nominations and wins this crowd has? I didn’t either, so I looked into it:

16 nominations among the cast spread out over 11 actors, albeit Owen Wilson’s and Jeff Goldblum’s nominations are not for acting.

3 wins for F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton.

Wes Anderson himself has 3 nominations.

Also lots of more talent behind the scenes: Alexandre Desplat, who writes the music, has 5 nominations (from the last 7 years!). Milena Canonero, who’s obviously done a great job once again with the costume design, has 3 wins and 5 nominations. And set decorator Anna Pinnock has 3 nominations.

In total I found 32 nominations and 6 wins. But there may be more. The trailer looks fantastic, so perhaps some of these nominees can turn into winners. Ralph Fiennes performance looks awesome, I hope it’s him.

And before you ask: no I don’t have too much time on my hands! Knowing this was important to my well-being.”

The movie is described as a chronicle of the adventures of Gustave M. (Ralph Fiennes), a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.

I’m not particularly worried about the balance of screen time the actors will receive. Anderson has an excellent track record of remembering to rely on the actual plot to move the story and not by relying on star power alone.

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ will be in theaters on March 7, 2014.