2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Willem Dafoe, F. Murray Abraham, Jude Law and Tony Revolori
Synopsis: The adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.
After the superbly alluring Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson harnessed all of his directorial prowess into this offering that was as gracefully and magnificently cinematic as his previous work to date. From the start it is clear Anderson is now working from a more sophisticated narrative palette. The structure is impeccable, noting a huge sense of maturity in Anderson’s craftsmanship. The Grand Budapest Hotel included a stellar catalogue of his fancied muses, all lining up to bathe in the elegantly chimerical light that illuminates the world his odd-ball characters inhibit. — James Arthur Armstrong
