The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director: Wes Anderson
With: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Mathieu Amalric, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Léa Seydoux, Jeff Goldblum, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson

The only movie I've seen directed by Wes Anderson was Moonrise Kingdom and he immediately enticed me with his distinct style of direction--marvelous production designs that seem like straight out of a children's story book, sweetest color palettes that triggers allurement to the screen, quirky characters wearing neat designed costumes and a great ensemble to give justice to them. The Grand Budapest Hotel is nothing short of these aspects. In fact, it's way more extravagant and a way better experience than the former.

It's a thrilling ride that follows the story of a previously young lobby boy Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) who worked under Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), a charismatic yet strict concierge of a grandiose hotel called 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'.

The film consists of well-known actors and actresses but Budapest's storytelling is so fast that it swallows these actors' prominence and instead focuses on the characters they're playing. Anderson's characters are so quirky and distinct to each other that even though the film boasts of a number of heroes and villains, everyone remained memorable.

Everyone worked their characters very well and while all of them delivered, Ralph Fiennes stood out the most as the primary carrier, or should I say 'concierge' of the film - both as an actor and as a character. Gustave H is undeniably likable, a stubborn hero, a nefarious protagonist, he's an unsung hero reminiscent of classic playful Old Hollywood characters. It worked for him that he's not playing a kind-hearted goody goody hero because we knew him as an actor who played iconic villains. He was Lord Voldemort and he was monstrous. He was Amon Goeth and he was despicable. But Ralph Fiennes redeemed himself for playing this character that's just so ironically likable, even touching at times. Honorable mention is Willem Dafoe. As one of the characters with a brief role, he notably injected himself as the bulldog-looking scoundrel who's funny and awful at the same time.

In my viewing experience of Moonrise Kingdom, as much as I was highly fascinated by Anderson's work, there were times when it felt a little lethargic. But the slowness of the former, he makes up for the bold and quick pacing of Budapest. It never rests in entertaining the hell of its viewers. What made it more fun is that it's a movie with a world straight from a creative and unconventional imagination, youthful in its colors and execution albeit containing mature stories and characters.

I also just want to mention how Alexandre Desplat scored the hell out of this movie. It's kind of funny because it seems like he's scoring every other movie I watch this year. No complains here because he's a fantastic musical composer and he made Budapest more whimsy and playful.

Its humor is both verbal and visual. Its pacing is something most movies should have. I'd give this film 5 plums in a New York minute for its richness, creativity and astounding viewing pleasure but I just wish it connected more emotionally.

Even then, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a must-see film that somehow will remind you of the fulfillment one earn in watching quality movies.

Top 10 SUPPORTING ACTRESSES of 2013

  

10. Octavia Spencer as Wanda Johnson - Fruitvale Station

In Fruitvale Station, Octavia Spencer showed that there's no need to burst out crying to depict a sorrowful mother mourning for her son's loss. Her restraint and calmness in the midst of a family crisis is admirable. Octavia Spencer after winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress two years ago seems like she now knows how to stand out as an actor and there's no looking back, Spencer got my respect.

9. Margot Robbie as Naomi Lapaglia - The Wolf of Wall Street

I love how Margot Robbie introduced herself in the movie world in such a huge way last year. Appearing in two of the best films of 2013 -- About Time and The Wolf of Wall Street, she morphed into the who-girl into the it-girl. Of course she still has more to prove but her performance as Jordan Belfort's wife Naomi showed her promise as an actress. Her Brooklyn accent is brilliant and to be quite honest, I didn't see that she's capable of a worthy performance when I watched her in About Time.

8. Sarah Paulson as Mary Epps - 12 Years a Slave

Like Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave, Sarah Paulson gave something appealing in a role we're supposed to be detesting. As a wife seething with jealousy towards one of their slaves, Paulson channeled this role with absurdity behind a great amount of elegance. Paulson proved in 2013 that she can succeed even outside television. Her work in Mud and 12 Years a Slave are good enough for her to hopefully land a future lead role.

7. Melissa Leo as Holly Jones - Prisoners

Damn, I LOVE Melissa Leo in Prisoners! The fact that she's not getting a lot of recognition for her work here as an old mysterious suburban lady with a dark motive I would never understand. Solely through Melissa Leo's acting, she can make us scared, laugh, sympathize, provoked, name it. And even if she's kinda awkward in real life, there's no doubt that Leo is one heck of an actor.

6. June Squibb as Kate Grant - Nebraska

I'm not crazy about June Squibb's performance in Nebraska but I find it impossible not to be smitten by her. With the help of Bob Nelson's screenplay and Payne's direction, they made the most out of June Squibb's potential. I think Squibb's personality in real life made Kate Grant a little more charming and hilarious rather than annoying and shrew, making her the most memorable in Nebraska.

5. Jennifer Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld - American Hustle

I may be unimpressed with Jennifer Lawrence's Jersey accent but only fools can deny the incredible talent of this woman. She's unstoppable. She has swag in real life but also translates it in films. Rosalyn turned out to be the most awesome character in a film with many OTT characters and that's because of JLaw's ability to steal every scene she's in. For me, she still hasn't surpassed her performance in Winter's Bone but I know that she's still capable of topping it. I'm looking forward for her return in doing serious roles instead of comedies.

4. Scarlett Johansson as Barbara Sugarman - Don Jon

It's sad that ScarJo is getting more recognition for her voice over role when she's better in the greatest role of her lifetime in Don Jon. :( She's impressive as a voice actor in Her but her everything in Don Jon is miles better. It's unbelievable how she can change her accent so natural and believable like how Meryl Streep does her millions of accent. Only few actors can achieve that and ScarJo is now one of them. Funny thing is, I don't think that she tried hard and she just enjoyed her role or she's just really good at it that she made me think that way.

3. Annika Wedderkopp as Klara - The Hunt

 I've campaigned my ass off to put this young but INSANELY ASTONISHING actress to spotlight but I failed miserably. Wedderkopp, in my book, brings a lot of mature actress to shame because she can portray maturity better than most actors. The fact that she seems like she knows what she's doing in a film involving molestation, penis and other mature stuff, that's just WOW.

2. Léa Seydoux as Emma - Blue is the Warmest Color

Léa Seydoux is frickin fantastic in Blue is the Warmest Color! Knowing that she's actually a very feminine person makes her even more fantastic because in Blue, she's believable as a lesbian, the manly lesbian. She carried some of my favorite scenes in Blue, one of which is when she first met Adele in a gay bar. She's striking and as I am typing this, makes me want to watch Blue is the Warmest Color all over again. Oh yes I will!

1. Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey - 12 Years a Slave

Lupita gave us one of the most unforgettable scenes ever! Patsey's whipping scene still astounds me to this day for how brutal it was. The emotions and the pain she brought to Patsey during that scene was so raw and out of this world. And with that, I think she easily blows everyone away. I also love the tiniest details in her acting. Her dance, her way of holding the macaron, her way of eating it, her whistles, her passionate delivery of her lines. Her acting screams passion and while that doesn't always translate to a great performance, it's something that she possesses that helps her portray a character that deserves to have one. I hope Lupita wins come Oscar night.

Other Rankings:

Top 5 Original Scores of 2013

Top 10 Cinematography of 2013

Top 5 Original & Adapted Screenplays of 2013 

Top 10 Supporting Actors of 2013 
Top 10 Lead Actors of 2013
Top 10 Lead Actresses of 2013

DECEMBER 2013: The Act of Killing, Blue is the Warmest Color, The Spectacular Now

 

The Act of Killing

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

With: Anwar Congo

Full writeup

The Act of Killing

Blue is the Warmest Color

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

With: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux

Full writeup

Blue is the Warmest Color

The Spectacular Now

Director: James Ponsoldt
With: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyle Chandler

For those who don't have any idea about The Spectacular Now and want to see it solely because of the trailer, I'm warning you, it's not as fun and romantic as it looks. Sorry to break it to you but this film is not a feel good movie. For sure. People were comparing this to The Perks of Being a Wallflower but the only similarity it has for the latter is its high school setting. The film stars Miles Teller as Sutter, a high school senior and happy-go-lucky party-goer who unexpectedly meets Aimee (Shailene Woodley) in a stranger's lawn after a wild drunken night. Aimee, a not-so-popular 'good girl' of their batch quickly falls in love with Sutter. What starts as a cute romance develops into a serious and quite dark reality of life. For a film with high school puppy love as its theme, this is definitely a heavy one.

Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley does not have the compatibility one look in a romantic film but their realistic connection and portrayal of an unlikely couple transcends to the outcome of their characters' relationship. It's like watching a real life romantic relationship unfold before your eyes when you know that one of them is not good for the other. As the film progresses, your love for Aimee increases but it is the other way around for Sutter, despite being the popular man that he is in his batch. It is in the third act when you'll finally understand Sutter's actions when he finds out deeper and more complex details about his life. It destroyed him leading to a very nostalgic Emma Morley-esque fate for one of the characters. (I also just want to include how it's kind of funny that Miles Teller in this film has an exactly similar slow-motion car scene in his other film Rabbit Hole. It's too comparable it's funny. :3) But anyway, at the end of the film, it gives one of the characters a dilemma whether to accept and give someone a second chance or move on from the people that hurt that character. For the other, it is about correcting one's mistakes and knowing that there's always time for another new and good beginning.

The Spectacular Now emphasizes that high school is indeed a phase in our lives where it's okay to commit mistakes, to make wrong decisions and to experience 'puppy problems' but only because it hones us to be the better version of our future selves. The ironic thing is that when we're in high school, we're not aware of these circumstances. We're carefree and we knew that we had our whole lives ahead of us. Aimee and Sutter are no different and I wouldn't be surprised if most people see themselves with them. But I wish the film was lighter because in the end, most of us consider high school as one of the best stages of our lives.

Blue is the Warmest Color

Blue is the Warmest Color

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

With:  Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux

"I have infinite tenderness for you. I always will. All my life long."

This is perhaps, one of the most controversial films this year. While it is not new for French films to have liberated attitude toward sex and human body, Blue is the Warmest Color contains some of the most explicit and surprising lesbian sex scenes you'll ever see in recent years (and outside of porn). But at the end of the film, we are certain that it is more about love, than sex or lust. Most people may have a hard time relating to the main characters' identity, but it is so easy to feel the emotions out of them, Adèle and Emma. They possess something that is familiar to all of us, and that is the feeling of love.

Everything about the film looked natural, the raw emotions, the intense sex, the neverending conversations, the dancing and festivities. The film is 3 hours long but it never felt like it. I can name a number of my favorite scenes in the film, not counting the obvious ones. In fact, thinking about it, every scene in the film is inspired. We are captivated just by listening and looking at the characters' conversations and interactions. The reason for that of course, is the poignant performances of Léa Seydoux and newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos. Director Abdellatif Kechiche brought out the sincerity in these two actresses as he chose to tell the story of the film most often with close ups of their facial expressions varying from vulnerable, to curious, to excited, to confused, to sorrowful and to being madly in love. Exarchopoulos, in particular, has a great face that depicts her character so well, perplexed, sensitive and longing. Now I understand why she's been receiving so much recognition for her work in this film. Portraying her character in the film requires courage, passion and authenticity which she delivered quite well especially for a newbie.

This film teaches us what we, or at least most of us, already know about love. That it involves PAIN. And pain comes in different shapes and sizes. Jealousy. Deception. Differences in personality and passion. Loneliness. Acceptance. Abandon and Need. These raw aspects of love are majorly depicted in this film and we all know that these things that happen in real life is hard to illustrate through films. We are taught that life is not like the movies but like I mentioned, Seydoux and Exarchopoulos will make you feel these things easily and real. The last time I felt this feeling from a movie was when I saw Blue Valentine which left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm pretty sure this one would make you feel that too. Blue is indeed blue.