The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

There is literally nothing I didn't love about Wes Anderson's newest movie. His writing only seems to get sharper with every film. Dripping with a mixture of wry wit and low brow slapstick, it is one of the funniest he has produced, as well as (possibly) the most exciting. It is actually quite exciting that an actor as great as Ralph Finnes fits into Anderson's style so effortlessly. He plays M. Gustave H. so beautifully, that his Oscar for it should already be lining his shelf. Actually, this entire cast hits their marks with a vibrant glee, and award caliber perfection. From Wes' mainstays like Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, to more new comers like F. Murray Abraham (and his hilarious younger self played by Toni Revolori) to the ever delightful Saoirse Ronan, there isn't a character wasted in this entire film. I could go on and on about my love of Robert D. Yeoman's cinematography, and the brilliant decisions of switching between aspect ratios depending on the era the story is set in, but this review is supposed to be short, so I won't. Just go see this movie already.

Grade: A+
Easter Egg: No
3D: N/A

Starring: Ralph Finnes, Jude Law, Toni Revolori
Director: Wes Anderson
Writer(s): Wes Anderson - Story: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guiness - Inspiration: Hugo Zweig
RT: 100 min
Rating: R for language, some sexual content and violence

Veronica Mars (2014)

Life on "Mars"

It isn't often that the best thing about a movie is also the worst thing about a movie. Such is the case with Rob Thomas' "Veronica Mars", based off of his show of the same name. This movie feels like a 107 minute episode of the television show, which is both good and bad for it. It is good because it brings its core audience (the people who helped fund the movie via Kickstarter) back into the world they loved so much, and introduces a new audience to something they have never seen before. It is bad because it doesn't expand the world which these characters inhabited, but instead feels like Thomas should have saved this for a season on Netflix instead.

I don't want this to sound like I didn't enjoy the film, because I did. I laughed at many of the references to the show, and almost all of the cameos that got paraded in front of the camera (especially Ira Glass). The cast was really enjoying being back in their old shoes, and the writing was sharp and witty, so they had plenty to play with. There really wasn't much about the movie to not like. There was just a feeling like they could have done more with it, and that the stakes weren't high enough to warrant a big screen revival.

Grade: B+
Easter Egg: Mid-credits sequence
3D: N/A

Starring: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni
Director: Rob Thomas
Writer(s): Rob Thomas (also Story and Characters) & Diane Ruggiero
RT: 107 min
Rating: Rated PG-13 for sexuality including references, drug content, violence and some strong language