The Grand Budapest Hotel - Director Wednesdays

The Grand Budapest Hotel Review

As with Moonrise Kingdom (the Anderson flick I watched just the week before), The Grand Budapest Hotel has a very unique aesthetic. This, however, may be more indicative of the time periods these films are set in than the directors style itself. If we find a film of Anderson's set in the modern day we will then see how his style portrays itself naturally. That said, it is clear that Anderson is quite fond of these distant eras. Moonrise Kingdom was set in 1965, and The Grand Budapest Hotel jumped from 1985 to 1968 and then all the way back to 1932. Interestingly enough, The Grand Budapest Hotel also made a point to change stylistically with each time period, even adjusting the aspect ratio to reflect the standards of each respective era. His attention to detail is nothing short of extraordinary and shows the passion he has for authenticity.

While I don't plan to spend this entire review comparing The Grand Budapest Hotel to Moonrise kingdom, it is also noteworthy to say that both films are set in fictional lands that lacked a sort of realism an audience member is so often familiar with. I suppose, having a film largely set in 1932 is enough of a foreign land to the majority of us, but having it set in the fictional European country of Lutz allows it to leave some of reality to the wayside. While I'll need one more movie to be sure, but this seems to be a trend in Anderson's films. My hypothesis is that by setting his films just outside of the reality we already know, it allows us to play along with any weirdness or historical inconsistencies.

So, for those following along at home, which Anderson flick do you like best? Why do you think Anderson loves making movies set in different time periods? Talk about it in the comments, and don't forget to like, share, and follow Jef vs Entertainment for movie reviews of lovely movies that slightly include Jeff Goldblum, and other things in the world of entertainment!