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comment by thenewgreen
thenewgreen  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Grand Budapest Hotel - Discussion Thread

Underrated actor: Jeff Goldbloom -cat scene was wonderful.

What other performances stood out to people?





ButterflyEffect  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I really enjoyed Harvey Keital as Ludwig. Sure, they played the classic "crawl through a pipe to escape the prison" card, but I enjoyed his character. It was the archetypical old-timer in prison character.

I wonder if roysexton knows about the movie club and/or has written up any reviews of this movie?

roysexton  ·  3529 days ago  ·  link  ·  

oh, you guys are going to be SO unhappy with me - I did review it here:

http://reelroyreviews.com/2014/03/29/two-by-two-what-did-i-just-do-to-myself-noah-and-the-grand-budapest-hotel/

but I knew I was the lone contrarian (sp?), so I offered my pal Rebecca a counterpoint here:

http://reelroyreviews.com/2014/04/20/pointcounterpoint-ann-arbors-rebecca-biber-offers-guest-critique-of-the-grand-budapest-hotel/

thenewgreen  ·  3529 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Your review is awesome, if nothing else, for introdocuing me to the Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders. -Ed Norton as Owen Wilson is amazing.

roysexton  ·  3529 days ago  ·  link  ·  

the best skit ever - loved it!!

b_b  ·  3529 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Not alone! I've also used "cute" and "Keystone cops" in my derision of this piece of shit (see below and in the comment of this review). It's obvious to the point of irony and self-awareness, but not in a way that comes off as thoughtful or introspective. Probably Anderson's worst movie. As for Aronofsky, I didn't catch Noah, because I couldn't stomach the idea of it. But, generally I've loved his recent work, and loathed his early work. Pi and Requiem are so bad that they make me want to puke. The Wrestler and Black Swan are some of my favorite movies of the last decade.

roysexton  ·  3529 days ago  ·  link  ·  

yay!!! I feel validated! thanks!

thenewgreen  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I enjoyed him too.

Aside: Did you, _refugee_, humanodon or anyone else notice that about 6 poems are begun but are never finished being recited?

humanodon  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yeah. I had to laugh because even though I write poems, I do have trouble finishing certain well-known (and very lengthy) modernist poems. I couldn't figure out if that running joke was a (perhaps well-deserved) jibe at modernist poetry or if it was more tied in with the words of the poem and how they interact with the running narrative. I guess I'd have to watch it again.

thenewgreen  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

There is only one poem that is completed and it is just prior to Gustav's death, as read by Agatha on the train. -something about "brothers." -it was a nice moment.

Edit: humanodon -in the film, not finishing the poems has to do with interruption and not because they have any trouble remembering. Therefore, when Agatha can finally recite a poem without interruption it satisfies a sort of pent up anxiety in the viewer. You feel a sense of completion and satisfaction and then... Bam! Gustav dies.

humanodon  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    in the film, not finishing the poems has to do with interruption and not because they have any trouble remembering.

I guess I didn't express what I meant clearly; I mean that the running joke is that who ever is reciting is interrupted, but is the joke more than just the interruption? As in, obviously Anderson chose when to interrupt and how the recitation was interrupted.

thenewgreen  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Ah... To me it seems that people were all too ready and willing to cut off the poems in order to get on to more important things. The best interruption occurs when Gustav is hanging off of the cliff reciting his death poem and Zero throws Willem Defoe over. It's a hilarious moment.

humanodon  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Right, but it also said that Gustav had that collection of modernist poetry and it did seem to figure into his character. Like that thing about boning old, rich women. Anyway, in Wes Anderson movies I'm never sure what any but the most obvious symbols are vs. opportunities (intentional or otherwise) for the viewer to "read into" a particular scene or the movie as a whole.

I like Willem Dafoe as a thug and while his scenes were pretty cartoonish, I kind of felt like more could have been done with his character.