I'm always the first one to scream about the new Wes Anderson film and here I am, screaming about how excited I am/was for the film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and I'm not the only one.
After an amazing time at #FutureCinema's event last month, I saw that #SecretCinema were gearing up for their next event and of course it was none other than Wes Anderson's new masterpiece. I saw the link at work and silently screamed at my desk. I simply had to go. Luck was my side as my dear friend had got me a free ticket!! I was ecstatic!
Being Secret Cinema, I had no idea of the location, I was just told to meet my friend at Farringdon station at 6pm last week. She had tickets to attend the preview before the actual run, at the time the film was not even released. We followed the instructions and map and then queued for an hour and a half to get in. That part wasn't great and not very well organised but I'm sure the kinks have been smoothed out. We were all given a little purple bag with a number on it by some very smily Hotel staff dressed in fantastic purple, just like in the film. We were instructed to put our phone in the bag, this was to avoid any photos being taken. The photo I have here is from a newspaper article, the only showing how brilliant the event was.
There was an amazing projection of the hotel onto the front of the building, giving the effect to look like the film poster. When we finally got through the doors, the film came to life. We exchanged our phones for a door key, a clever way to start I thought, then we were given a telegram from the hotel. All the staff/actors were fantastic. I played along, of course, even putting on a slightly posher accent. 'Guests' wandered around the hotel, interacting with people and at times, even had scenes. A very amusing one happened just after my friend and I got hot dogs, I was having trouble with eating mine and looked ridiculous while a drunk 'guest' was causing trouble the staff. There were 3 levels to explore and I a bar at every floor. I took advantage of the bar as soon as we walked in and went for a event themed cocktail, it was delicious.
It felt, to me, as if we were part of the film or at least watching it unfold up close. After a dance from the actors who started grabbing people and dancing around the building with people, my friend included, we were all ushered in to a sort of warehouse where a cinema had been set up. Time for the film.
The film, as I expected, was perfect. The layered plot surrounding a suspicious death and the theft of an expensive painting was utterly brilliant, Wes Anderson has out done himself and if he caught people's attention with Moonrise Kingdom, this amazing film will surely bring him further recognition. It deserves all the praise its been getting and more. It was out loud funny, the characters were so well executed, the setting so unusual and you literally cannot tear your eyes away from the design.
Gustave H, is a marvellous invention, the legendary concierge of the hotel and the central character of the story. He starts off being a pompous ececntric but becomes a hero and true friend, especially to Zero, the other hero, slightly sidelined, of the story and is the one who tells his tale to 'The Author' who then in turn tells us the story. The various characters, no matter how small a role they played, all had a purpose in the story. The fact that war is looming over everyone but life still continues in the hotel, as well as the scandals, murders and mayhem, just makes this film perfect.
Gustave H, is a marvellous invention, the legendary concierge of the hotel and the central character of the story. He starts off being a pompous ececntric but becomes a hero and true friend, especially to Zero, the other hero, slightly sidelined, of the story and is the one who tells his tale to 'The Author' who then in turn tells us the story. The various characters, no matter how small a role they played, all had a purpose in the story. The fact that war is looming over everyone but life still continues in the hotel, as well as the scandals, murders and mayhem, just makes this film perfect.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is out now, make sure you go and see it.