Recently, I heard someone say that you had to be in the right mood to watch a Wes Anderson movie. It’s an understandable attitude, as his films can be frustratingly strange, especially if you don’t know what to expect. But I liken his movies more to a life-sized Impressionistic painting. If you look at an individual scene, it may seem muddled and unnatural. But step back, and look at the movie as a whole. The smaller pieces form a grand, colorful pattern, and it is something to be admired. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” may not be my personal favorite of his (that probably goes to “Rushmore” or “The Royal Tenenbaums”). But it definitely ranks among his best.

“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” although dealing in several timelines with different characters, is essentially the story of a man named Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), who was once the concierge of a hotel called the Grand Budapest back in the 1930’s. A rich older lover of his, named Madame D. (Tilda Swinton), mysteriously dies one day, leaving a valuable painting to Gustave in her will. Suspecting that he was responsible for the death, Madame D.’s children have him imprisoned. And Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), a young lobby boy, tries to help free him from the wrongful charges.

Remember, though, this is a Wes Anderson movie. As is the case with Anderson, the story of “Grand Budapest” is often second to the visuals, where each frame is meticulously created. They are all brightly lit, lavishly colored portraits, carefully symmetrical and containing innumerable oddities along the walls. The camera swivels from one shot to the next at perfectly aligned 90-degree angles, tugging us along for the ride. At times, it is a little much, even for a Wes Anderson movie. But, as mentioned before, it grows on you.

And that’s not to say that the story of “Grand Budapest” isn’t interesting on its own terms. The film takes on its own twists and turns, and contains descriptive, well-rounded characters as well. At the center of it is Gustave himself, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, who is probably most famous for playing villains in the past, such as Amon Goeth in “Schindler’s List” or Voldemort in the Harry Potter films. But here, he is warm, compassionate, and funny, serving as a protective father figure to the young Zero Moustafa, played by talented newcomer Tony Revolori. The usual Anderson crew is also here, although with more minor roles than in the past, including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, and Edward Norton.

In my favorite scene of “Grand Budapest,” we see a group of men escape from prison. This entire sequence could probably be stretched into its own feature film. The men make a comically easy escape, with conveniently-put ladders, cartoonish violence, and completely oblivious prison guards. It is hard to take seriously. But perhaps that is because it isn’t meant to be. Instead, have fun with it. Once you get past the silliness, there is much to enjoy here.

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is Wes Anderson at his finest. It may be laughably ridiculous at times, but it is also a beautifully shot, entertaining romp. And, as always, I will be first in line to see his next one.