"Happy? We're all standing, a bunch of jackasses, standing in a circle"

There are times when a Marvel movie makes you feel like you need to know all about a character before you can even begin to understand whats happening on screen. If you're someone who takes your comic movies as seriously as that, you might want to knock back a couple of shots of whatever your poison is before you sit down to wrap those 3d glasses around your face. Not that that's whats needed to have fun watching Star Lord and his mismatched posse but it'd be a way to push the boundary much above the stratospheric fun already bundled into Guardians of the Galaxy. Note - I do not condone the use of controlled substances!

James Gunn, helmer of the acclaimed 'Dawn of the Dead' and the horror campfest 'Slither', puts up a rip-roarer par excellence with 'Guardians'. The soundtrack is as inspired as the direction itself with lots of retro mixes being played out of an on screen Walkman, though the question of running out of AA or AAA batteries in galaxies above and beyond can only be answered by suitable alternative power sources having been put up by Peter Quill aka Star Lord played by Chris Pratt. In some ways there are a lot of Star Wars analogies that can be drawn, Peter being a weird retro pop loving version of Han Solo but lets leave it at that. While some(read one) of the characters also ensure we aren't kept in the dark as to the fit of their spandex costumes, neither is the subtle portrayal of each. Chris Pratt conveys an innate sadness and a quest for individual identity thats reflected in his devil may care attitude. Gamora(stealthy green assassin princess) has family problems of her own in the form of spiteful step sisters and titanic(if you'll pardon the pun) adoptive dads. Draxs' previous run in with Ronan the Accuser(see below) being his reason for revenge makes him a catastrophic juggernaut albeit with alleged reflexes so swift they can catch thoughts. A mercenary pair completes the group - a genetically modified raccoon, Rocket has his motives and priorities sitting on top of the pile of raccoonish thoughts justifying his actions no doubt but his snide nature masks virtues(saying that to him would make him kick up some grass) and Groot, an elemental with his constant one line 'vocabulistics' is innocence personified, he has no motives save friendship and his own endearing elemental nature.

When the movie gets to its real story, the five are thrust together unwillingly when Ravager Quill(I will NOT spoil his opening shot) gets his hands on an orb that naturally is the focus of all the shady negatives of the movie. Talking of whom, Korath(Djimon Hounsou having fun while impressing his son), Ronan the Accuser(Lee Pace not being elvish at all), Nebula (not so recognisable Karen Gillian) and of course bigwig Thanos(Josh Brolin building up for his eventual ultimate badassery) are all impressive on a scale that would have been impressive to start with. What follows forms sort of the plot of the movie which has a rich mix of talent supporting the misfits - Benicio del Toro as Taneleer Tivan(the Collector), John C Reilly as a Nova Corpsman, Michael Rooker as the Ravager Yondu and the long missed Glenn Close playing Nova Prime.

Juggling the orb between the above characters, James Gunn takes us on a ride aboard the Milano(Peter Quills version of the Millenium Falcon) and the ride does not disappoint one bit.While plunging into the story a bit more is tempting, I'll restrict myself with commenting on the excellent background music provided by Tyler Bates, the realistic and practical creature and make up job done by David White. Not a frame proves lame or repeated, the music explodes and resonates as required. The completely irreverent dialogue of which the title above is an example, keeps us laughing along while megalomaniacal mass murderers plan on destroying planets and galaxies. The movie is also a subtle build up and another step forward into a perspective of the galaxy not seen in Marvel productions before. Knowhere, Xandar, Skree warships, abandoned planets and a little bit of a video history lesson by the Collector give us a vision of where things could go in the future while merging Thor's 'realm' based view with a grounded Avengers palate of locale. DC and Snyder, not that they need to replicate things, should be paying attention while plotting their own superhero team ups. Everything set up here is going to make the next Marvel Universe movie that much more palatable and easier to relate with.

Which now leads to a conclusion where I wont say much more than what I've said so far - this movie is designed to gain favour with everyone who watches it, just like Star Wars was in its time. You don't have to be a comic book geek because things are explained as much as they have to be. But you sure would have to be a non fun lover if you come away disappointed. When you can see actors not only disappearing into their roles but appreciating the simple things like the music implemented beautifully, smiles are all that would result. A movie that is worth its ticket price for at least two viewings.

P.S - There is an end credits scene which will not tell you much.

3.75/5
Poster by Matt Ferguson  @ Cakes-and-Comics

The plot thickens, as they say. Why, by the way? Is it a soup metaphor?

Guest Post : Movie Review : The Grand Budapest Hotel

I haven’t watched all of Wes Andersons cinematic creations. But having watched ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’, ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’,the trailer for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ kindled in me curiosity more than anticipation in watching it. Anticipation was always a given after ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ but the vision of Ralph Fiennes and the smorgasbord of A-list actors invoked in me a curiosity hitherto unfounded. The movie, in all certainty was not going to disappoint, threw bountiful surprises that made one smile, choke, burst out in guffaws but also lean back and contemplate. A movie that is personified in one of M.Gustave’s(more about him shortly) prolific utterances while explaining how humanity remains in humble(read stupendous) offerings of his esteemed establishment – a generous sentence of praise ending with ‘F**k it’.

It would be best to use a simile coined for a different purpose in describing the movie – while appearing to be an oil landscape from the 1920’s it actually presents itself as a secret wrapped in a mystery in the jacket pocket of an enigma. Anderson shares story credits for it with Hugo Guiness who both share credit with the author Stefan Zweig whose writings inspired the story. The opening shot presents a young lady gazing at a seated statue of the ‘Author’ (Tom Wilkinson) whose tome ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ she is reading. The book delves into a first person narrative of Tom Wilkinson as a young ‘Author’ (Jude Law) who recounts a meeting with M.Moustafa(F Murray Abraham), the proprietor of the titular hotel. Said hotel is of legendary quality but like the statue of Ozymandias, crumbling to current ruin. Jude Laws character having expressed curiosity as to why the owner of such opulence opts to spend his time in a cubby hole within upon his yearly visit gets invited to dinner with M.Moustafa. The dinner is designed to be the succulent main course fed morsel by elaborately crafted morsel to satisfy both the Authors and our curiosity pangs.

Clipped and short shots are used to introduce us to the hotels days of splendor(do not miss the cable car, an indelible stamp of the film) and to Zero(Tony Revolori), a bell boy under the wing and tutelage of the glorious M.Gustave(Ralph Fiennes). While teaching Zero the intricacies of being a bell boy i.e. the art of providing the guests at The Grand Budapest everything they may need or want when they need or want it without even them knowing they need or want it, M.Gustave shows himself to be the perpetual didact enlightening us throughout the narrative, even preaching perhaps. To characterize him as a refined but horny gigolo would not be mincing words. Monsieur being the pinnacle of said character while remaining supremely classy to the point of being a magnet to ladies of the rich and elderly variety, his preferred clientele. Supporting characters appear in the form of Dimitri(Adrien Brody in a deliciously evil role as the son of one of Monsieurs clients), Jopling(a very scary Willem Dafoe, positively vampirish), Deputy Kovacs(no matter what the period, dialogue or makeup Jeff Goldblum will be – pause for effect and dainty shrug – Jeff Goldblum), Inspector Henckles(Ed Norton, subtlety itself) and to spare the pleasurable tedium of putting character name to actor – Aaron Sorkin, Mathieu Amalric, Lea Seydoux, Saoirse Ronan, Bill Murray and lest we forget, Owen Wilson.

The Grand Budapest Hotel remains translucently etched in the background of our vision while a set of almost bioscope-quality events run through in the foreground. Ralph Fiennes in perhaps the performance of his career so far shifts from being concierge generale to gigolo to favoured recipient to a ‘straight’ fellow(a remark he decries sarcastically as never having been accused of) to a friend in need to a benefactor.  Watching him play these roles while maintaining his demeanor of the refined but vulgar M.Gustave, full of finesse and euphemism, double entendre and general swearing is a cinematic treat that should not be missed.

It would be doing the film an injustice to delve into its details or to attempt to summarize it. What can be done is accord to The Grand Budapest Hotel every accolade it deserves. While being everything it already is, the movie(and by implication Anderson) even manages to pull the subtle veil of war into its crowded but never murky tapestry. Frantic yet still, refined yet vulgar, subtle yet bombastic, The Grand Budapest Hotel thrills every cinematic nerve we would expect to be tweaked while promising to come back and tickle them just as M.Gustave would have.

5/5