An iconic director offers up his unique style in short form with his simple yet charming piece, Hotel Chevalier.
Many view director Wes Anderson as a visionary in the world of cinema. The Houston native achieved many accolades throughout his over-twenty-year-long career, including six Academy Award nominations and a Golden Globe in the category of Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. Known for his inimitable visual style and his quirky screenwriting, Anderson has garnered a cult following, inspiring new generations of filmmakers. On top of that, many consider him to be a modern-day auteur, working as director, producer, screenwriter, and actor in many of his pictures. While his work may be easy to parody for its formulaic nature, no one can …show more content…
However, he is surprised when his former girlfriend (Natalie Portman) comes to visit him. Just by looking at this short film, you can tell that this is a Wes Anderson production. The cinematography, set design, and dialogue are unmistakably his style, and echo the look and feel of his other works. Anderson’s use of symmetry and color keeps each shot interesting; you could watch it with the sound muted, and still be entertained. Coupled with the inclusion of the song “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?” by Peter Sarstedt, the director’s hallmark flavor is felt from start to finish. The story in Hotel Chevalier is minimalistic, to say the least. Since this is simply an introduction to a larger work, there is not much of a narrative presented here. Not much happens over the course of the short film, and if you did not know that this was a prologue to another movie, you may be confused as to what Hotel Chevalier is supposed to be about. With that said, as supplementary material, it serves its purpose quite nicely. It certainly made me (having previously seen Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel) want to see The Darjeeling Limited. Schwartzman’s role seemed like an intriguing character, and I would like to learn more about him, and why he stayed in this hotel for so long. If you want to have the full Wes Anderson experience, you should watch one of his feature-length
Many view director Wes Anderson as a visionary in the world of cinema. The Houston native achieved many accolades throughout his over-twenty-year-long career, including six Academy Award nominations and a Golden Globe in the category of Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. Known for his inimitable visual style and his quirky screenwriting, Anderson has garnered a cult following, inspiring new generations of filmmakers. On top of that, many consider him to be a modern-day auteur, working as director, producer, screenwriter, and actor in many of his pictures. While his work may be easy to parody for its formulaic nature, no one can …show more content…
However, he is surprised when his former girlfriend (Natalie Portman) comes to visit him. Just by looking at this short film, you can tell that this is a Wes Anderson production. The cinematography, set design, and dialogue are unmistakably his style, and echo the look and feel of his other works. Anderson’s use of symmetry and color keeps each shot interesting; you could watch it with the sound muted, and still be entertained. Coupled with the inclusion of the song “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?” by Peter Sarstedt, the director’s hallmark flavor is felt from start to finish. The story in Hotel Chevalier is minimalistic, to say the least. Since this is simply an introduction to a larger work, there is not much of a narrative presented here. Not much happens over the course of the short film, and if you did not know that this was a prologue to another movie, you may be confused as to what Hotel Chevalier is supposed to be about. With that said, as supplementary material, it serves its purpose quite nicely. It certainly made me (having previously seen Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel) want to see The Darjeeling Limited. Schwartzman’s role seemed like an intriguing character, and I would like to learn more about him, and why he stayed in this hotel for so long. If you want to have the full Wes Anderson experience, you should watch one of his feature-length