I like to look at parts of this film independently from one another.

First, there's the appearance. The film is beautifully shot and has absolutely gorgeous sets. I've seen it twice and both times I got a strange feeling like I was watching a play. Every little visual bit is so distinct, the sets so dynamic as to be worth discussion on their own. I felt like I was watching a very well organized and produced stage play, because of the artistry of the appearance. The OVER attention to detail, the absurd complexity of the baked goods, to cite a specific example.

I'm not so sure Owen Wilson and company were necessary for the film. Yes, I understand the 'Bill Murray is in every Wes Anderson movie' trope, but it still felt a little ham-handed. I have to question if certain names were used for star power alone, when there might have been better fits for the characters that weren't just BIG NAMES. The best example of this for me was Willem Dafoe. Every time I saw him on screen I had a 'Oh, there's Willem Dafoe' moment. Even Murray wasn't that distracting. But, in keeping with the feeling of a stage show I was referencing earlier, it made things feel even more like an abstraction of a movie. 'These are actors, they play roles to convince the audience they are someone else in order to tell a story.'

I'll say this, I'm not a huge Wes Anderson fan. I really liked The Life Aquatic, and the Royal Tenenbaums left me cold. I really liked GBH though.