Movie Quirkiness at its Finest

The Grand Budapest Hotel shows director Wes Anderson at his wacky best

Even if you’ve never quite understood the appeal of his films, it’s hard to knock Wes Anderson for his dedication to the craft. He’s now made eight feature films, and thanks to his unique visual flair and attention to detail, each of them is instantly recognizable as an Anderson original.

The Anderson dial is turned to 11 in The Grand Budapest Hotel, which tracks the history of the titular hotel in the fictional republic of Zubrowka in Eastern Europe.

Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) is one of the most memorable characters to come out of an Anderson film in quite some time.

In particular it focuses on two men: M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), manager of the Grand Budapest during its heyday in the 1930s, and Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori/F. Murray Abraham), a lobby boy in the ’30s who goes on to own the hotel.

The elder Moustafa tells a visiting writer (Jude Law) how he came to be the owner, and it’s a story that’s full of intrigue, humor, whimsy, death and — above all else — loyalty. It’s also one that’s enthralling from the moment he opens his mouth.

There’s so much going on in any Wes Anderson movie that it’s difficult to pinpoint why it all works — or doesn’t, as the case may be. Although the elements he includes here don’t appear to be all that different from his previous films — eccentric characters, people moving in straight lines, random throwaway minutiae — they add up to a highly enjoyable experience.

One deceptively simple choice exemplifies the Anderson spirit and helps set this film apart from even his previous efforts. The film is mostly set in the 1930s, but it’s bookended by scenes in 1968 and 1985, and Anderson films each one of them in the aspect ratio appropriate to that time period.

It’s a trick that’s been done before, but it helps tremendously in setting the mood for each era. It also establishes Anderson’s movie nerd bona fides, letting the audience know they’re in the hands of someone who knows what he’s doing.

Another difference could be the tight editing by Barney Pilling, who worked with Anderson for the first time on this film. Cutting a scene too soon or too late can be detrimental to its effect on the audience, and Pilling’s work is spot on throughout the film, helping make every line and joke land perfectly.

Or it could be the performance of Fiennes, who makes his first appearance in an Anderson film and fits in seamlessly. His Gustave is prim and proper but also delightfully profane when the situation calls for it. This juxtaposition makes Gustave one of the most memorable single characters to come out of an Anderson film in quite some time.

And that’s saying something when he has to compete with many other distinctive characters. Revolori makes Zero an ideal foil for Gustave, something that’s only heightened when he’s given a love interest (Saoirse Ronan). Willem Dafoe plays a particularly menacing bodyguard with an underbite, surly demeanor and fistful of rings.

Then there’s the laundry list of actors, including many Anderson regulars, who bring something special to the film: Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel and more.

From the smallest details to the witty dialogue to the great acting across the board, The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of Anderson’s most successful outings. It’s hilarious, melancholy and everywhere in between, and it will have fans longing for him to come back soon.

Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Vinyl Record News

Dallas record store chain Josey Records spins new location in Garland

Josey Records

Josey Records

Vinyl at Josey Records

Dallas music maker Josey Records has extended its reach east: The record store chain, whose empire includes one of the largest single independent record stores in the U.S., has opened a location in Garland, at 1005 Northwest Hwy., at the intersection of Centerville Road, where it's selling its trademark assortment of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, turntables, music posters, new releases, and music accessories.

This is the sixth location and the third in the Dallas area, joining the original in Farmers Branch which owners Waric Cameron and Luke Sardello opened in November 2014. They've since opened locations in Plano, Tulsa, Kansas City, and Vidalia, Missouri.

The original location is a giant place with 16,000 square feet devoted to vinyl, 45s, CDs, turntables, and T-shirts. They do a good job showcasing new releases and collector vinyl — they made CultureMap's list of 5 best places in Dallas to buy vinyl records — and are known to host album release and listening parties such as a recent blockbuster celebrating Linkin Park.

They made headlines in June 2020 when they acquired the vast musical inventory of Bill’s Records following the death of owner Bill Wisener; Cameron and Sardello both worked at Bill’s, and knew the sprawling collection first-hand.

"It has taken us years to even start going through it, but in last two years, we've made some headway," Cameron says. "Bill's has its own audience, so we created a specific Instagram account, just for Bill's Records merchandise called @billsrecordsvault."

They chose Garland because they saw it as an area that was under-served.

"There are very few record stores in that area of northeast Dallas, Casa View, Garland, Rockwall, Mesquite," Cameron says. "We have customers who live over there, so it seemed like a good place for a store."

The storefront they're in was most recently The Music Store, which sold and rented musical instruments and accessories; but coincidentally, it's next to an address that was once RPM Records, a hip record store from the '90s.

The Garland store follows the same model as their others: selling new and used records and merchandise, and buying used goods, as well.

"One thing that's cool is that each location takes on its own identity," he says. "We buy used CDs, vinyl records, cassettes — we're a used resale business — and what we buy from our customers dictates what that store becomes. For example, our Plano store has a lot of classic rock. So we're looking forward to seeing what Garland gravitates to."

Garland does have one thing that the other locations do not.

"Right now, Garland has this incredible collection of jazz," Cameron says. "We bought a great collection of jazz records — someone called and wanted to sell it. We get that a lot, we buy major collections from all over the U.S., we even make house calls. So we saved it for the Garland store."

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