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.

In Theaters: 'Red Hook Summer' & 'The Bourne Legacy'

ONE of Brooklyn’s greatest ambassadors is none other than Spike Lee. The director, writer, actor and sometime-activist loves the borough that some refer to as “God’s Country.”

Despite his fame and fortune, SL is still holding it down in the country. This extends to his films, too, in particular a series dubbed the “Chronicles of Brooklyn.” It started with “She’s Gotta Have It” and the culture-transforming “Do the Right Thing.” The last film in the series was “He Got Game.” The latest is “Red Hook Summer,” which SL wrote and directed. It opens in limited release today. (See video above).

Despite some subject matter that put it in danger of an NC-17 rating, “Red Hook Summer” is essentially a coming-of-age film. In a geographic reversal, 13-year-old Flik Royale (Jules Brown) is planted in New York where he is to meet for the first time and live with his paternal grandfather, Bishop Enoch Rouse (Clarke Peters). Poor Flik can’t catch a break.

On the one hand, his massively religious grandfather is trying to convert him. On the otherhand, this middle-class Atlanta boy is learning – sometimes the hard way – about life in the big city. In the projects … It’s hard out here for an imp!

'Tis always refreshing to see any ethnic group portrayed in various degrees of its complexity. In his 20-plus-year career behind (and sometimes in front of) the camera, SL has never strayed from examining black folk in our numerous shades of gray. Keep doing the right thing, Spike.

“Red Hook Summer” is rated R for brief violence, language and a disturbing situation.

Also opening today, nationwide, is another film in the “Bourne” franchise.

Don’t expect to see Matt Damon, though. He begged off starring in the fourth installment of the successful films flimsily based on Robert Ludlum’s spy novel. Horrors! One can just see the suits at Universal Pictures sitting around a conference table twiddling fingers and fondling Blackberrys, i-’s and other smart phones trying to figure out how to keep milking this cash cow.

Eureka! In a clever bit of marketing, they cheekily tell the moviegoing public that there was never just one Bourne, in a story extrapolated by Tony Gilroy who also directs. Apparently, Bournes or Bourne types are as potentially numerous as the Borg. Well, goodbye Jason Bourne aka Matt Damon and hello Aaron Cross aka Jeremy Renner.

Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) is a wanted and haunted man in "The Bourne Legacy." Photo by Mary Cybulski for Universal Studios.

Not surprisingly, there is lots of action. Fasten your seatbelts to avoid whiplash; it’s a bumpy ride. No need to know the synopsis beyond the fact that Aaron has gone rogue and must be restrained by any means necessary. On either side of the misunderstood agent are new and returning faces in the guise of Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Albert Finney, Joan Allen and Scott Glenn.

All the A-list star power notwithstanding, this is JR’s film. But can he make it his own as did his predecessor? No doubt, viewers will decide.

“The Bourne Legacy is rated PG-13 for violence and action sequences.