***½ The Grand Budapest Hotel (March 2014) – Theatre

Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan. Story of the friendship that develops between concierge Gustav H. and Zero Moustafa, lobby boy, as they become entangled with a wealthy family battling over an inheritance.

She says: Well, that was an unusual movie.

He says: I’d say so.

She says: Did you like it?

He says: [Long pause] Yes, I did. It held my interest.

She says: The Grand Budapest Hotel is the story of a man telling a story of man telling the story of how he came to own the Grand Budapest Hotel, even though that’s really just the side story to his real story, the love story, which is just too painful to tell in detail. So instead he talks of his relationship with Gustav, the eccentric concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel.

While it seems a bit complicated, it’s all quite enjoyable to watch, because while very quirky, it’s also very funny, and fast-moving, and interestingly staged and filmed. And there is a fair amount of intrigue around the family, and a priceless painting, and which will is really the final one—all in the backdrop of war. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like this movies, including other Wes Anderson movies.

Part of the fun, too, is that it’s so chock-full of stars. It seems every few minutes a new one appears: Look, there’s Jude Law. And Eward Norton. And Bill Murry. And Tilda Swinton. And Jeff Goldblum, Adrian Brody, Jason Shwartzman, Harvey Keitel, OwenWilson, Willem Dafoe…