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The Oscars have come and gone, but there’s still some great films to come over the coming months, but how many of this week’s films will be worth watching? The films this week are The Grand Budapest Hotel, 300: Rise of an Empire and The Stag.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Grand Budapest Hotel recounts the adventures of Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune – all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.
Directed by Wes Anderson and also starring F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson, Bob Balaban and Fisher Stevens, I’ve loved most of the Wes Anderson films I’ve seen – although I’ve yet to see Rushmore & The Royal Tenenbaums – but I was massively disappointed by his last film, Moonrise Kingdom.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
300: Rise of an Empire
After its victory over Leonidas’ 300, the Persian Army under the command of Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) marches towards the major Greek city-states. The Democratic city of Athens, first on the path of Xerxes’ army, bases its strength on its fleet, led by admiral Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton).
Themistocles is forced to an unwilling alliance with the traditional rival of Athens, oligarchic Sparta whose might lies with its superior infantry troops. But Xerxes still reigns supreme in numbers over sea and land.
Directed by Noam Murro, and also starring Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham, Jack O’Connell and Andrew Tiernan, I never got round to watching 300 and it didn’t quite appeal anyway, so I’m not in a rush to see this sequel, obviously.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
The Stag
A bachelor party weekend in the great outdoors takes some unexpected detours.
Directed by John Butler and starring Andrew Scott, Hugh O’Conor, Peter McDonald and Brian Gleeson, the trailer for this didn’t grab me whatsoever so it’s not a film I’ll be going to see.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.