Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)

Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)
Oh, to be in England...
Showing posts with label Edward Norton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edward Norton. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel, in model miniature

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a wonderful Wes Anderson film. If you are a fan of Wes Anderson then you likely already have this on your radar to see soon, if you haven't already. If you don't know Wes Anderson, well, how do I describe him to you?

Wes Anderson in his director's chair

A creative worldly dynamo from Texas, he loves to create entire worlds for his films, being the writer, director and producer for most of them, TGBH included. I think Moonrise Kingdom is still my fave film of his but this one is a very close second. Stylistic, funny and dark...you will not be bored during one of his films!

Gustave H and lobby boy Zero

Ralph Fiennes lives it up as a very hammy concierge (Gustave H.) of a fictional hotel between the wars in a fictional Eastern European country with his sidekick Zero Moustafa (played by brilliant newcomer Tony Revolori).


Told as a story within a story, we hear the tale through a dinner conversation between the now grown lobby boy (F.Murray Abraham as the adult Zero) and a guest at the now run down hotel (Jude Law as "Young Writer").


It would seem Anderson has no problem enticing big name stars who love offbeat films. Saoirse Ronan as Zero's love interest and Tilda Swinton as one of Gustave H's elderly female guests are just a few of the names you may recognize. Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe...the list goes on and on!

So I will end with the official trailer and let you decide if it is something you want to see. Personally, I am still smiling! The Squire just looked over my shoulder as I played the trailer and said "That film was entertaining but different." I will leave it at that. :)


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Moonrise Kingdom is charming!

Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson

I was able to see Moonrise Kingdom this past weekend and it was charming! What a perfect summer movie. No matter what your age, as long as you are over the age of 12, this will take you back to that awkward age where you feel on the cusp of adulthood but no one takes you seriously.

Penpals and outsiders Suzy and Sam
Suzy and Sam are both going through their own version of pre-teen angst. Sam is an orphan, growing up in a foster home for boys and Suzy has a couple of dysfunctional lawyer parents who are unable to help her through those difficult years. They become pen-pals and run away together to live off the land. A cute pretext but it is what Wes Anderson does with it which makes it special.

Edward Norton as Khaki Scout Master Ward
The cinematography gives it a vintage feel (I swear they added scratch lines across the frames to make it look like an old reel). And the set decoration and costumes are magical. Vintage 1965!

Moonrise Kingdom supporting cast
Just look at the supporting cast. Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton and Bruce Willis are all at their comedic best and yet touching at the same time as adults who have lost their way. Newcomers Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman as Suzy and Sam are wonderfully innocent and spit out the wacky lines in a deadpan manner which really works.

Suzy on the lighthouse

So go and see this one. It is quirky, you won't be able to predict where it is going next and it has a happy ending. That is all you need to know before you go and see it.

And please come back here and tell us all how you liked it. Cheers!

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