Wild Tales (Damián Szifron, 2014)

Wild Tales (Damián Szifron, 2014) is an Argentinian comedy/drama of the portmanteau genre. The film contains six short ‘tales’ which are all connected by the thematic concepts of revenge, catharsis and vengeance.

Each tale varies in length, setting and narrative. These include a plane hijacking, an attempted poisoning, a discontented engineer, a hit and run and an extremely chaotic wedding. The plots are told through a variety of interesting narrative techniques, prioritising the “show don’t tell” cornerstone of storytelling throughout each of the tales. I also noticed that the lighting of each of the tales seemed oddly vibrant and superficial which emphasises the grandiose theatricality of each of the stories.

The stories themselves each follow a similar narrative structure, gradually introducing the concept and characters through subtle pieces of information which ultimately builds to a dramatic crescendo. Information is deliberately hidden from the viewer in order to create an immensely satisfying conclusion within each of the six tales.

“Haste que la muerte nos separe” (Till Death Do Us Part)

Four of the six stories were partially based on real-life situations director Damián Szifron experienced throughout his life. After its release, the film received a large amount of critical acclaim, exemplifying the portmanteau genre attempted to great success. The film received a number of accolades, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed Wild Tales from start to finish. I was fully engaged within each of the six stories and although I definitely preferred some of the tales to others, each had something new to bring to the table. Unfortunately, I thought that some stories ended prematurely and in an unsatisfying manner but this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the film.

My personal favourite of the tales was the third story: “El más fuerte” (The Strongest) as I was utterly enthralled by its simple but gripping narrative. Each action that occurs within this story is just as unpredictable as the last and I was kept on edge for the entire duration of the narrative.

I believe that Szifron’s main message conveyed throughout the film is that revenge is not always the correct course of action. Throughout each tale, Szifron demonstrates to the viewer that the act of vengeance often provokes the animalistic impulses within our instinctive human nature, and often leads to violence and destruction.

Overall, I would rate Wild Tales ★★★★.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014) is a crime/comedy detailing the adventure of an eccentric concierge and his newly befriended lobby boy protégé. The film contains an ensemble cast containing the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Saoirse Ronan to name but a few.

Grand Budapest poster

We follow an unnamed author (Jude Law) who is interviewing Zero – the owner of the prestigious Grand Budapest. We learn the story of M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), the famed concierge of the hotel and a young Zero (Gustave’s newly appointed protégé) in a daring and adventurous rags to riches quest.

Wes Anderson uses many interesting techniques throughout the film. Firstly, the narrative structure of the film is nonlinear as we flick back and forth between three key time periods: 1932, 1968 and 1985. Anderson expertly makes use of three different aspect ratios for each time period in order to subtly inform the viewer when each on-screen event is taking place.

Use of aspect ratios in The Grand Budapest Hotel

The film’s aesthetics are enchanting throughout. Anderson makes full use of the key elements of film form, predominantly the cinematography and mise-en-scène to produce a emphatic and flamboyant impact.

Use of cinematography, framing and mise-en-scène

Being only 7 years old at the time of writing, The Grand Budapest Hotel will surely become a cult classic in the future. The filmmaking is nothing short of masterclass and each shot of the film could be a framed piece of artwork. Wes Anderson’s legacy will surely inspire aspiring auteurs to shape the future of cinema.

The film explores themes of class and wealth throughout, emphasising the occupants of the hotel as being members of upper-class society and illustrating the employees as subservient.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel from start to finish. Each shot was visually breathtaking and the all-star ensemble cast were a joy to witness on-screen. However, I do personally believe that the plot at some points delved into the realm of being ‘convoluted for the sake of complexity’. Additionally, in my opinion, a large part of the film’s selling point is the eclectic cast and I think it would not be as critically acclaimed without it. In saying that, I would highly recommend the film to anyone purely from the aesthetics alone.

My favourite sequence would perhaps be the fantastic ski chase scene. Anderson intelligently makes use of many filmic elements – particularly editing and special effects to construct a tense and enthralling sequence.

Ski chase scene

Overall, I would rate The Grand Budapest Hotel ★★★★.