Best Picture Nominees — The Grand Budapest Hotel


In these posts I'm taking a look at the eight films nominated for Best Picture. Today's post is about the biggest dark horse — Wes Anderson's quirky comedy.

Movie: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nominations: 9
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director (Wes Anderson), Best Original Screenplay (Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness), Best Original Score (Alexandre Desplat), Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costumer Design, and Best Hairstyling and Makeup
About: What to make of the chances of "The Grand Budapest Hotel?" It was a movie that was released in March 2014 and just keeps hanging in there. It is typical of Anderson and his unique cinematic style. I don't think it's his best film, but it's certainly the one that seems to be getting the most attention and acclaim. At the Golden Globes in early January, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" was a surprise winner as Best Musical or Comedy, beating out the favored "Birdman." When the Academy Award nominations came out, it got nine nominations — including Best Director. Typically, the winner of Best Picture also wins Best Editing. Only five of the Best Picture nominees got an editing nod, and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" was one of them. While "Birdman" remains a touted front-runner, it didn't get an editing nomination, and "Budapest Hotel" did. So you have to wonder, is another upset in the works? The film got a lot of technical nominations — as well as a nomination for screenplay and director — but no acting nominations. So the early part of the show might give a feel for whether it will be a dark horse year. If "Grand Budapest Hotel" starts sweeping the technical awards, it could very well be a stunning winner at the end of the night. Given the love being shown this film — and the fact it upstaged "Birdman" at the Golden Globes — it is, perhaps, the biggest dark horse candidate to win the big prize. I would also expect the film to win one or two Academy Awards regardless of how Best Picture goes. That being said, Anderson feels like a long-shot to win Best Director. It also seems difficult, at this point, to predict a victory in an original screenplay category that includes favorites "Birdman," "Boyhood," "Nightcrawler," and "Foxcatcher." Either way, the love shown to "The Grand Budapest Hotel" this awards season has to feel like a win for Anderson and his unique cinematic vision.
Rating: R for language, some sexual content and violence. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Four stars out of four
"The Grand Budapest Hotel" is now available on DVD, and it is currently in rotation on HBO.

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