Film Talk: Looking Back – A return stay at The Grand Budapest Hotel

Written and directed by Wes Anderson, 2014's The Grand Budapest Hotel is comedy-drama that has been consistently hailed as one of the greatest films of the 2010s and, indeed, the 21st century.

With the mighty Ralph Fiennes heading up an ensemble cast of 17 stars, this gem of Anderson's genius follows the misadventures of a charismatic hotel concierge after he is framed for murder most foul.

Reportedly, the flick was conceived by Anderson and collaborator-of-old Hugo Guinness as a segmented story that would follow a character based on a mutual friend. Apparently the pair initially had problems in their brainstorming for the film, but their experience of touring Europe and looking into the works of Austrian novelist Stefan Zweig helped define their vision.

With the aesthetic of the flick being drawn from European-set mid-twentieth century cinema, The Grand Budapest Hotel was filmed in eastern Germany. Showcasing a cast comprising Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Mathieu Amalric, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Léa Seydoux and F. Murray Abraham, to say that Anderson was wheeling out the big guns with this one was an understatement. But would it reap sufficient financial reward?

When a writer travels to the mountains of Zubrowka, he visits the Grand Budapest Hotel and meets its owner, Mr Zero Moustafa (Abraham). The enigmatic Zero invites said author to dinner, where he regales him with the rags-to-riches tale of how he came to own his establishment.

In 1932, when the hotel was enjoying its glory days, the young Zero (Revolori) is hired as a lobby boy to serve under the tutelage of legendary concierge, M. Gustave (Fiennes). After Gustave spends the night with wealthy dowager Madame D (Swinton), he learns that she has been found dead at her home.

Accompanied by Zero, the flabbergasted concierge travels to her funeral where he learns that he has inherited a valuable painting – much to the chagrin of Madame D's son, Dmitri (Brody).

After Gustave and Zero 'liberate' the painting, Gustave finds himself facing the long arm of the law when he is accused of Madame D's murder. Our hero is imprisoned, but Zero is still around to save the day and help Gustave escape and clear his name. Will our dynamic duo come out on top? Nothing is ever as simple as it first appears...

Upon its release The Grand Budapest Hotel received highly positive reviews, with critics directing particular praise to the craftsmanship behind the flick and the performances of its stellar cast. In terms of box office revenue, the film earned $173 million worldwide, making it Anderson's highest-grossing feature to date.

Picking up numerous accolades including four Oscars, The Grand Budapest Hotel was nothing less than a complete success that showcased the supreme talent of all involved. Anderson fans often place this one on the altar as his greatest work, and even those not under the acclaimed director's spell consistently recognise its brilliance.

With a career-best turn from Fiennes and an outstanding performance from Revolori leading the way, this one is nothing less than one of the most sumptuous feasts of cinematic pleasure ever to grace the silver screen. If you haven't seen it, book yourself in. If you have, a second stay is certainly in order.