Wes Anderson has become one of the most notable directors of late.  His artistic style that he puts on his movies is very unique and distinguishes himself from many other directors. Moonrise Kingdom quickly became one of my favorite movies. The weird story and comedy quickly caught my attention and made me enjoy the movie. Anderson’s latest work, The Grand Budapest Hotel, is now also one of my favorites. It captures the same aspects of Moonrise Kingdom, and applies them to a whole different story.

The quirkiness and comedic sensibility of his movies has put him in a different category of directors. The different aesthetic he puts on of all his movies is seen through obscurities in the film, such as a certain font on a hat, or the bright colored uniforms of the hotel staff. From the ensemble cast to distinct camera angles, The Grand Budapest Hotel is very similar to Moonrise Kingdom.

From a cinematic view, one similar shot remained in both movies. A zoomed out camera on a vast landscape was used to express the imagery of each movie. In Moonrise Kingdom, the shot is used to capture the house in their hometown, and in The Grand Budapest Hotel, It is used to capture the vast views of the mountains.

Both films also have incredible ensemble casts that include Anderson regulars such as Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray. The characters are very unique, with vivid traits that describe each character. In The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gustave H. is clearly described as being hotel oriented, having everything in his life revolve around the well-being of the hotel. This clearly distinguishes him from any other character; and other characters have distinct qualities that distinguish them from everyone else, as well. In this regard, Anderson makes each character noticeable in the movie, so everyone stands out in a certain way.

What was noticeably different in The Grand Budapest Hotel was the entire feel of the movie. The whole movie was darker and creepier, much different than Moonrise Kingdom. While Moonrise Kingdom had a happier feel where two kids fall in love and run away, The Grand Budapest Hotel was much different. In this movie, two people did fall in love, but couldn’t have been farther from the action. There were dark aspects of the movie everywhere you looked, especially with a serial killer throughout the whole movie. But Anderson cleverly juxtaposes this feel with the vibrant colors of the locations visited in the movie, as well as the hotel itself. The reds and purples of the hotel lobby act as eye candy and splendor in order to show off the hotel in all its glory. Also, the views displayed from the mountains, including a comical ski chase scene, were breathtaking.

The dialogue throughout the movie was, for the most part, clear and simple. Each line served a purpose. Even though not much was said, the dialogue conveyed strong underlying themes throughout the movie, most of which I am still trying to figure out. That is another thing about the movie I liked. The end, although sad, was satisfying, and I’ve continued thinking about it afterwards, not only to think about themes and whatnot, but also just to look back on how enjoyable it was.