REVIEW - The Grand Budapest Hotel

We saw this despite, rather than because of it being directed by Wes Anderson, the culprit responsible for The Fantastic Mr Fox, The Royal Tennenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, Rushmore, and other equally dire films.

I remember a conversation with my wife's sister, who explained that those movies are existential. Now, I know as many words as the next man, but existential seems to be like another way of saying "crap".

As I said, despite not liking anything Wes Anderson has done before, I dragged my wife's sister's sister along to see this, mainly because of the stellar cast.

Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Tom Wilkinson, an unrecognizable Tilda Swinton, and the unrecognizable-if-it-was-up-to-me Owen Wilson.

The story, while being at the same time central to the movie, but curiously like a silent era slapstick in places, was overshadowed by the crisp, witty dialog delivered with a suitably elegant and campy style by most of the cast.

While not the masterpiece that Anderson's accolytes might have you believe, this was nevertheless fun, and a pleasant surprise.