Weekend Fun, Including MOVIES!
This weekend was great! We had warm weather and snow all in two days! We also did something we don't do a whole lot of, and that was to go to a movie, at the theater, with the whole family. We saw:
We've been huge fans of Wes Anderson since we saw "The Fantastic Mr. Fox". It's really not just a children's movie. I've probably watched it 5 or 6 times, maybe more. Meryl Streep, George Clooney, and many other great actors. Half the fun is trying to identify the voices.
Anyway, back to The Grand Budapest Hotel. It's very Andersonesque, stars Ralph Fiennes, as M. Gustave H, the Concierge at the hotel, and a newcomer named Tony Revolori as Zero, the lobby boy. How can I describe it. It's funny, and sad, and dramatic and as always, whimsical. Here is a bit of dialogue from a part when M. Gustave has been locked up in prison:
M. Gustave H.: "Good morning, Pinky"
Pinky: "Mendl's again?"
M. Gustave H.: "Precisely. Now who's got the throat slitter?"
Wolf: "I love this world."
M. Gustave H.: "Mendl's is the best. Well, back to work."
Pinky: "M. Gustave"
M. Gustave H.: "Yes?"
Pinky: "Me and the boys talked it over. We think you are a really straight fellow."
M. Gustave H.: "Well, I've never been accused of that before but I appreciate the sentiment."
Pinky: "You're one of us now."
M. Gustave H.: "What a lovely thing to say. Thank you, dear Pinky. Thank you, Gunter. Thank you, Wolf. Anything else?"
Pinky: "Tell him, Ludwig."
Ludwig: "Checkpoint 19 ain't no two-bit hoosegow. You've got broad gauge iron bars on every door, vent and window. You've got 72 guards on the floor with 60 more in the towers. You've got a 325-foot drop into a moat of crocodiles. But like the best of them, it's got a soft spot, which in this case happens to take the form of a storm drain sewer system, dating from the time of the original rock fortification way back in the middle ages. Now, nobody's saying it's a stroll down the tree line promenade with a fine lady and a white poodle but it's got what you'd call venerability and that's our bread and butter. Take a look."
One thing that is lovely about the Wes Anderson films is that none of the characters affect an accent. They are from different places in the world, and it doesn't seem odd at all that a Middle Eastern boy working in a hotel in eastern Europe would have a patently American accent. Charming.
Now, if you don't like cussing, you won't like this movie, it has a ton of cussing, mostly the F word and lots of mayhem and murder, but not horrific gore.
We also saw "August: Osage County", which is a viscerally emotional film. The acting is great, as in GREAT. It's hard to watch. A family's sorrow and secrets are brought to light after the death of the patriarch. If you've got a certain kind of family issues, you will probably cry or want to shut it off.
On Friday, we went to see The Boy in his high school's musical, "Hello Dolly". He had two smaller parts and did each one with a different voice. If you're familiar, he was Ambrose and The Judge. The lead is a magnificent singer named Merkin, who was the perfect choice for Dolly.
All in all, a good weekend. I even wore make-up on both Friday and Saturday!
Annie
We've been huge fans of Wes Anderson since we saw "The Fantastic Mr. Fox". It's really not just a children's movie. I've probably watched it 5 or 6 times, maybe more. Meryl Streep, George Clooney, and many other great actors. Half the fun is trying to identify the voices.
Anyway, back to The Grand Budapest Hotel. It's very Andersonesque, stars Ralph Fiennes, as M. Gustave H, the Concierge at the hotel, and a newcomer named Tony Revolori as Zero, the lobby boy. How can I describe it. It's funny, and sad, and dramatic and as always, whimsical. Here is a bit of dialogue from a part when M. Gustave has been locked up in prison:
M. Gustave H.: "Good morning, Pinky"
Pinky: "Mendl's again?"
M. Gustave H.: "Precisely. Now who's got the throat slitter?"
Wolf: "I love this world."
M. Gustave H.: "Mendl's is the best. Well, back to work."
Pinky: "M. Gustave"
M. Gustave H.: "Yes?"
Pinky: "Me and the boys talked it over. We think you are a really straight fellow."
M. Gustave H.: "Well, I've never been accused of that before but I appreciate the sentiment."
Pinky: "You're one of us now."
M. Gustave H.: "What a lovely thing to say. Thank you, dear Pinky. Thank you, Gunter. Thank you, Wolf. Anything else?"
Pinky: "Tell him, Ludwig."
Ludwig: "Checkpoint 19 ain't no two-bit hoosegow. You've got broad gauge iron bars on every door, vent and window. You've got 72 guards on the floor with 60 more in the towers. You've got a 325-foot drop into a moat of crocodiles. But like the best of them, it's got a soft spot, which in this case happens to take the form of a storm drain sewer system, dating from the time of the original rock fortification way back in the middle ages. Now, nobody's saying it's a stroll down the tree line promenade with a fine lady and a white poodle but it's got what you'd call venerability and that's our bread and butter. Take a look."
One thing that is lovely about the Wes Anderson films is that none of the characters affect an accent. They are from different places in the world, and it doesn't seem odd at all that a Middle Eastern boy working in a hotel in eastern Europe would have a patently American accent. Charming.
Now, if you don't like cussing, you won't like this movie, it has a ton of cussing, mostly the F word and lots of mayhem and murder, but not horrific gore.
We also saw "August: Osage County", which is a viscerally emotional film. The acting is great, as in GREAT. It's hard to watch. A family's sorrow and secrets are brought to light after the death of the patriarch. If you've got a certain kind of family issues, you will probably cry or want to shut it off.
On Friday, we went to see The Boy in his high school's musical, "Hello Dolly". He had two smaller parts and did each one with a different voice. If you're familiar, he was Ambrose and The Judge. The lead is a magnificent singer named Merkin, who was the perfect choice for Dolly.
All in all, a good weekend. I even wore make-up on both Friday and Saturday!
Annie
Comments
Post a Comment