Movie Review: Grand Budapest Hotel

So, not really a costume drama, but this one struck a chord with me. The other day I had a dream that I was Lobby Boy at the Hotel. A stirring piece, and one that specifically focuses on the use of set design, props, and costumes to overcome the essential dreariness of the 20th century, the essential brutality of man's existence. A decadent cream puff dessert is not something excessive and vacuous; in Wes Anderson's hands it is a weapon against fascism. So too are uniforms with tails, top hats, and expensive colognes. Voltaire's quip that one can do without the necessities of life, if only one has the luxuries is true for nobody as much as Gustave M. After watching Barry Lyndon, I felt no movie I saw that year would equal it. Now I know that I manage to see about one of these decent flicks a year. I really must set my standards higher.