Four Stars (and Counting) for 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Mentor (Ralph Fiennes) and mentee (Tony Revolori) at work in swanky surroundings in "The Grand Budapest Hotel." Photos from Fox Searchlight Pictures.

IT is somehow fitting that so soon after the Academy Awards that the movie-going public should be treated to a really good film.

For the viewing pleasure is Wes Anderson's “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” The film opens today in the United Kingdom, as well as a handful of theaters in Los Angeles and New York. It opened yesterday in Germany. On 14 March, it rolls out in other major cities in the United States and Canada.

Sweeping in scope and scale, “The Grand Budapest Hotel" recounts the adventures of one M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), a concierge of the first order plying his trade at an Eastern European Hotel of the first order before the outbreak of Word War II. It was filmed in Germany and the UK. (See video below.)

In typical WA fashion, the story is multi-layered rather than convoluted. WA does not do convoluted, he only does multi-layered. The film opens in the present day with a young girl who has been reading a chapter in the memoir of a character only identified as The Author (Tim Wilkinson). The chapter recounts a visit he made to the Grand Budapest Hotel in the 60s. While there, he met the owner Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) who gave him an earful about his former august lodging house.

Here is where the action starts as Zero recalls how he met M. Gustave, his training as a lobby boy and how he assisted his mentor in clearing his name after the former is accused of murder. In the interim, there is a murder investigation, murder charge, murder trial, will-reading, cross-country chases, death threats, prison break, police pursuit and sundry other incidents, accidents and mishaps.

To bring these droll, madcap, thoroughly entertaining proceedings to pass, WA assembles a cast of the first order. In process, he also delivers a film that is more at home in the Golden Age of Hollywood than in this mad, modern digital age. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a wonderful patchwork that combines elements of WA's previous works – a staple of his – particularly “The Darjeeling Limited” and his best work to date, “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

It also has as kindred spirits the best of “The Great Race,” “The Three Stooges” and “Keystone Cops” films.

Half the fun of watching “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which was the opening night film of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival last month and which won the festival's Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear award, is watching some of the finest actors in the business do their thing. WA smartly has them work within their range of comedy. To that end, for example, Harvey Keitel is not awkward as prison inmate Ludwig.

Indeed, another WA staple is assembling top talent. Perennials Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman are checked in, along with semi-regulars and newbies F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton.

M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and his bevy of blondes holed up at “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” arguably boasts one of the best all-star comedy casts in filmdom. It ranks right up there with “The Pink Panther,” “Blazing Saddles” and “It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” As for sheer star power, it ranks with another film – a drama – about a great hotel, “The Grand Hotel.”

Looking for a place to stay for an hour and a half or so? Then, check into “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is rated R for language, some sexual content and violence; visit http://www.grandbudapesthotel.com/ to learn more about the film.

'One World. One R 1200 GS.' Five Riders and Four Judges.

Rick Yune, Charley Boorman, Adrien Brody and Jutta Kleinschmidt take turns autographing part of the frame of the BMW R 1200 GS. Photo by Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images.

ONE more milestone achieved for the BMW Motorrad "Ride of Your Life": The celebrity judges have been named.

Charley Boorman, Adrien Brody, Jutta Kleinschmidt and Rick Yune are the fab four who will determine, along with Team Motorad, which five lucky motorbike riders will be permitted to take a roadtrip to far corners of the world on BMW Motorrad’s new and improved BMW R 1200 GS.

Motorbike riders from the world over have until 30 Nov. to apply (http://www.bmw-motorrad.de) for “Ride of Your Life.” The tour starts in January 2013 in Asia, then rolls through Africa, New Zealand and the United States before ending in Europe come April.

Tour 2 of the "Ride of Your Life" passes through the Baviaanskloof Valley in South Africa. Photo from BMW Motorrad.

The redefined R 1200 GS, an apt little machine for such a first-of-its-kind enduro event as the “Ride of Your Life,” is billed as a perfect blend of sport, adventure, action and style. The riders, too, will embody these attributes, as do the judges.

Charley Boorman communes with the BMW R 1200 GS. Photo by Stefania D'Alessandro for Getty Images.

“As one of the most successful rally riders of all time, Jutta Kleinschmidt represents the sporty nature of the bike. Charley Boorman is the adventurer and has travelled around the world on a GS 1200,” according to BMW Motorrad p.r. “Actor and martial artist Rick Yune is the action man, and even when riding for fun he always chooses BMW motorbikes because safety is a key priority for him. Oscar winner Adrien Brody has been riding motorbikes since he was 13, and expects a bike to offer a combination of power and design.”

The "Ride of Your Life" starts in Laos. Photo from BMW Motorrad.

The judges will be sending the five endurists on quite a trek. Before “Ride of Your Life” comes to an end, the riders will have logged myriad miles, traversing the dense forests and rustic bridges of Laos and South Africa's Baviaanskloof Valley (aka Valley of the Baboons) and a coastal road leading to the Cape of Good Hope where two oceans meet. Also on the route are Mount Aoraki and Queenstown, Oak Creek Canyon, Monument Valley Reserve, as well as Spanish sierras, the Pyrenees mountains and on to the finish at BMW headquarters at Munich.

What a ride!

Visit http://www.bmw-motorrad.com or http://www.bmw-motorrad.de to learn more about BMW Motorrad "Ride of Your Life.

'Songs of War' & Other Surprises at 40th Intl. Emmys

"Songs of War" director/writer Tristan Chytroschek, actress Prerna Wanvari and "Songs of War" commissioning editor Susanne Mertens are smiling for good reason at the 40th International Emmy Awards ceremony. Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images.

“… I was expecting Queen to win. It just looked like such a brilliant movie that everybody loved …”

These are the words of an uber ecstatic Tristan Chytroschek moments after his documentary, “Songs of War,” won an Emmy in the Arts Programming Category at the 40th International Emmy Awards” ceremony. The gala was on the docket for Monday night (19 Nov.) at the New York Hilton.

“It’s like great … so … I’m just shocked and awed," the German filmmaker said, describing what he could utter in polite company about his state of mind. "It’s absolutely brilliant; it’s amazing.”

TC's film had stiff competition from the affecting “Queen – Days of Our Lives,” about the rise of the British band fronted by the late Freddie Mercury.

“Songs of War” concerns itself with how perfectly innocent music is used in torture practices. The film pays particular attention to songs, including some from “Sesame Street, that have been played during interrogation sessions at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

“Songs of War” was a surprising victor at the 40th International Emmy Awards ceremony on a night when there were very few. Not surprisingly, for instance, season two of the gritty French police drama, “Braquo,” won in the Drama Series category. A welcome and surprise winner in this category would have been the fanciful and campy “The Kitchen Musical” from Singapore. It follows the shenanigans at a fictional French restaurant. (See video above.)

Hardly a drama, but chock full of it, the show is a cross between “Glee” and “Hell’s Kitchen.” In fact, creator, CheeK, got it greenlit by invoking "Glee." Dancing and singing also figure in “The Kitchen Musical,” as well as behind-the-scenes chef drama.

“Chefs have the biggest egos in the world,” CheeK said during the nominees panel at the 2012 International Emmy World Television Festival on the weekend preceding the awards ceremony. “The first guy walked out in the middle of the shoot and said the food was not right.” Everybody on set was incredulous, CheeK recalled.

Chef 1.5 quit in a huff. Now, “The Kitchen Musical” is on Chef 2.0, but drama may be percolating from this corner. “He said he does not work with turkey,” a smirking CheeK revealed.

Elsewhere at the 40th International Emmy Awards ceremony, Jessica Lange was in the house to present the International Emmy Founders Award to Ryan Murphy. RM’s claim to fame is as creator, writer and director of "Glee," "American Horror Story" and "Nip/Tuck." He was not only on the receiving end of proceedings, RM presented two special 40th anniversary Founders Awards to Alan Alda and Norman Lear.

Noelle Stevenson, Film Commissioner, Broward Office of Film & Entertainment and Alan Alda are in a celebratory mood at the 40th International Emmy Awards ceremony. Photo by Diane Bondareff.

Another surprise at the awards ceremony, hosted by an effusive Regis Philbin, is that the Brits did not walk away with a disproportionate share (two) of the awards. Could it be because this year there were fewer (seven) programs nominated from that country? Or because this year the competition was stiffer.

Here’s to hoping it is the latter case.

Visit http://www.iemmys.tv to learn more about the International Emmy Awards.