Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric
Running time: 100 minutes



In this latest film of his, Wes Anderson gave us a work of art that is more off-beat than his previous movies, and that is saying a lot. Here is where he has hit his peak, artistically, and I cannot wait to see where he goes from here on out.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is the story of a hotel concierge who takes a lobby boy under his wing as his protégé. Through multiple narrators, a prologue, five different parts and an epilogue, we are taken back in time to the period between the two world wars, in the glory days of The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Wes Anderson has really mastered the use of colors in this particular film. In a very deliberate way, he arranges his sets using different tones, shades and colors, giving diverse effects to suit his needs from one scene to the next. Three different aspect ratios were also used in the shots, depending on the timeline.  

It took me a while to get into this film, but once I finally got it, I was hooked. Ralph Fiennes’ work is commendable, as he was really good here. The rest of the cast also carried their weight. It was a nice touch to see, yet again, many of the Wes Anderson regulars come back in minor roles.

The Grand Budapest Hotel would probably turn off many casual moviegoers, because of its very different style and off-beat quality, but it is a very stylish and artistic movie that covers many deep emotional issues with a very light tone. The visual style used is very unique and makes for an interesting movie experience. I highly recommend this one, for the people ready and willing to invest some time and effort in a good film.

Rating: ««««



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