Movie Review : 'Grand Budapest Hotel'

Almost 10 years ago, Steve and I headed to Eastern Europe for a summer adventure. We travelled by plane and train and boat and bus and walked for miles, off the beaten track to places 'Less travelled by'. We lost a train, stayed in shitholes and palaces, ate food we didn't recognise and went completely actor dullally on a bridge in Croatia just so we could get a seat on a bus. It was a marvellous time!

We pushed the boat out and stayed at the Gellert Hotel while we were in Budapest, both on the way out and on the way home. The façade was beguiling and the common areas beautiful. Our room on our way out,  was definitely oldy - worldy so for our time on the way home we upped the anti and booked the only suite. Very lardie-da, except that when we moved in we fell about laughing cos whilst there was indeed plenty of room and rooms, there was no furniture, except a bed and a bit of a broken chair! The Russians or the local mafia must have been in and stolen all the useful stuff and there was just an idea of what the place must have once been like, and I reckon that was enough to leave a very pleasant memory and if I am ever lucky enough to go back to Hungary, I would like to stay here again!

The title of this movie, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' was all I needed as an enticement for me to stump up the ticket price and I certainly was not disappointed. I was the ONLY person in the theatre and my laughter and gasps sort of echoed around. I knew nothing about the movie and I was not even sure it was gonna be in English. Whoever pulled the project together, must really be SOMEONE cos they managed to attract some very big Hollywood names, who just did a great job at telling an interesting yarn in an oldy - worldy way.

It was beautifully shot and so reminded me of my time there, even though the movie was set and shot in winter. The beautiful austerity was captured and the sadness and corruption behind the flash facades explored.

I don't know why I was the only person there. Maybe they haven't done a good job of promoting it, which is a very great shame, because it is sooo worth a couple of hours.