The Grand Budapest Hotel

Set in 1932 in an opulent Alpine spa in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka, Wes Anderson's imaginative, impressionistic caper revolves around the eloquent, esteemed concierge, M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), and his protégé lobby boy, Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori). Apparently, elderly Countess Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe-und-Taxis—aka Madame D. (Tilda Swinton)—left an invaluable treasure to M. Gustave instead of her own villainous offspring, and this tale-within-a-tale is told through flashbacks. The Grand Budapest Hotel begins with a contemporary prologue as an aging author (Tom Wilkinson) recalls an evening in 1968, when his younger self (Jude Law) dined with elderly Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) in the once-majestic hotel, and learned about a life-changing incident that took place 50 years earlier. When Madame D. dies, legendary lothario M. Gustave becomes the prime suspect in her murder—according to Madame's devious son (Adrien Brody), his henchman (Willem Dafoe), and a policeman (Edward Norton)—launching a whimsical, madcap romp to discover whodunit, which only intensifies after Madame's executor (Jeff Goldblum) is found dead, and M. Gustave escapes from prison using tiny tools smuggled inside frosted pastries. Inspired by the works of Viennese novelist/playwright Stefan Zweig, Anderson has concocted a delightfully original, bittersweet, and slyly campy saga of murder, theft, and conspiracy, featuring farcical cameos from Anderson regulars including Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a featurette on director Wes Anderson (4 min.), a cast featurette including interviews with costars Ralph Fiennes and Bill Murray (4 min.), “Mendl's Secret Recipe” recipes (3 min.), and a stills gallery. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “making-of” featurette (18 min.), the behind-the-scenes segments “Bill Murray Tours the Town” (4 min.), “Kuntsmuseum Zubrowka Lecture” (3 min.), and “The Society of the Crossed Keys” (3 min.), and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winningly quirky film.] (S. Granger)