If ever there were a Marmite director, it would be Wes Anderson. Often darling of the film festival circuit and critics, the American director of films such as Moonrise Kingdom and The Darjeeling Limited doesn't attract the kind of box office success of many of his peers. For some sad reason, multiplex audiences just don't get him, and his latest film is unlikely to change their minds.

Going up!

It's 1968 and a young writer (Jude Law) is staying in a hotel in the republic of Zubrowka. The Grand Budapest has certainly seen better days. The young writer gets chatting to the elderly owner of the establishment, Zero Mustafa (F. Murray Abraham). Over a bite to eat, Zero tells of how exactly the hotel ended up in his possession.

Zero (Tony Revolori) first joined the hotel staff back in 1932. His mentor was the charismatic concierge Monsieur Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes); Gustave was the heart of the hotel and knew exactly how it ticked. On top of that, he had a penchant for L'Air de Panache and loved the older, wealthy ladies that often frequented the hotel.

One of his favourite ladies, Madame D (Tilda Swinton), passed away under curious circumstances. Was she murdered? Her family certainly thought so, and were extremely suspicious of Gustaf, particularly when they found out that their mother had left him the extravagantly valuable 'Boy with Apple' painting.

As far as Gustaf was concerned the painting was his, fair and square, so he asked Zero to help him make off with it without causing too much fuss. Despite a swift getaway, the painting caused the pair nothing but angst that led them on a path of many marvellous misadventures.

The back room staff at Greggs simply couldn't keep up with the demand for their new finest range.

Anderson has a style and look to his films that has almost become formulaic in recent years. Colours are muted, art direction has a uniformity to it, as does the dialogue, both in terms of content and delivery. After a number of films shot this way, it feels like Anderson's very own cinematic shorthand; he has developed his own language with which he tells all of his stories.

In doing so, it feels like the director is building a canon of work akin to a glorious collection of leather-bound classics, with The Grand Budapest Hotel being yet another delicious addition to it; each one can be appreciated individually, but also work beautifully within the set.

Along with this continuous visual feel throughout his films, Anderson has a regular troupe of actors that also appear with the likes of Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman all making welcome returns. It's the double act of Fiennes and the young Revolori who steal the show here, however; the pair not only work well together, but also seem quite at home within the crazy world that Anderson has once again created.

Anderson has created a rich and vibrant tapestry of a bygone age with his tale within a tale. Every scene, however brief it may be, is brimming with personality. Even if there is seemingly very little happening within the scene itself, Anderson always make sure that there's something worth watching within every single frame.

Although it's kind of understandable that the director's work may well not be everyone's cup of Darjeeling, it doesn't make it any less disappointing for being so. Ultimately though, it's their loss. And if they fail to appreciate the beauty, humour and cinematic elegance of not only this film in particular, but in Anderson's work in general, it's a very grand loss indeed.