The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson's bright, meticulous style reaches its most complete expression in this painfully poignant period comedy. Ralph Fiennes is all poise as M Gustave, the concierge of a hallowed hotel in Eastern Europe who, during the 1930s, takes young lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori) under his wing. When a wealthy guest suddenly dies and Gustave is accused of her murder, the stage is set for a series of manic, beautifully staged escapades - all against the rather serious backdrop of the rise of fascism. Fiennes is utterly riotous, but his masterful performance carefully reveals emotional depths that help to sell the film's delicate blend of tones. Elsewhere, a typically expansive Anderson cast has room for Adrien Brody and Willem Dafoe as the cartoon villains, Saoirse Ronan as Zero's love interest and Harvey Keitel as a tough prisoner. Anderson and Hugo Guinness's screenplay is a treat, though it's Alexandre Desplat's wintry score and Robert Yeoman's intricate camerawork that bring elegance and cohesion to the playful, winding narrative. Anderson's mannered style can be off-putting, but the sheer, incomparable artistry on display here makes it simply unmissable.