“You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity. Indeed that’s what we provide in our own modest, humble, insignificant… oh, fuck it.” ~ M. Gustave
On nights where the wind howls and the snow and ice crackle against the windows, I hunker down beside the basement fire and pop in an appropriately-themed seasonal movie. In this case, it is the gorgeous and witty stylings of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ by Wes Anderson. For me, Mr. Anderson’s movies have been hit-or-miss. I admire their style and distinctive imagery – every frame is a gorgeously surreal composition. The faded glory and former pomp of the Grand Budapest Hotel provides fertile ground for a story that was more engaging than it deserves to be, thanks to the characters and perfectly-cast actors, along with the magic of Wes Anderson, finally coming to full fruition for me.
“Rudeness is merely the expression of fear. People fear they won’t get what they want. The most dreadful and unattractive person only needs to be loved and they will open up like a flower.” ~ M. Gustave
With its almost Zen-like soundtrack – at once calming, mesmerizing, and dramatically tense in all the right places – and idyllic winter wonderland of some semi-fictional Eastern European country, this is one hotel you simply must visit. Let it engulf you, let it carry you away. Get lost in the compelling plot, or study each scene for its sheer beauty.
Fashion-wise, the film is magnificent. There isn’t a military-inspired coat or jacket that Anderson doesn’t like. The same goes for formal hotel worker garb. Sharp, smart, and tailored to perfection, even the lobby boys are splendiferous (check out those jaunty caps). And there’s a gray Astrakhan coat that Edward Norton wears that is criminally sublime.
There are a couple of real-life ways in which to celebrate the film if you love it as much as I do. The first is a limited edition fragrance based on the one M. Gustave applies so generously. It’s only available now and then on eBay it seems, and for quite a bit more than it’s probably worth. Then there is the recipe for the Mendl’s pastry – the instructions of which are one of the enchanting bonus features of the DVD. It starts out easy enough, and I’m sure Andy could handle it, but it may be beyond what my novice kitchen hands are currently capable of. We shall see.
In the end, though, it’s the heroic message of how some human beings do their best to raise everything, and everyone, around them. To be the absolute best they can be. To strive for perfection in a mostly imperfect atmosphere. To do it all in the name of honor and grace and respectability, no matter how things may be crumbling around them. There is nobility in that, and nobility is a lost art.
“To be frank, I think his world had vanished long before he ever entered it. But I will say, he certainly sustained the illusion with a marvelous grace.”
