Who knew Ralph Fiennes was a brilliant comic actor? Wes Anderson, apparently. The quirky indie director of Moonrise Kingdom struck gold casting Fiennes as a camp concierge in a grand old 1930s hotel.

Fiennes’s M. Gustave welcomes guests with a flourish and a strong whiff of his signature scent, L’Air de Panache. This curious caper sees him training up a faithful new lobby boy and winding up in a spot of bother when his elderly lover (Tilda Swinton) dies in mysterious circumstances.

It’s a humorous, visually stunning and involving ride with a colourful cast of characters clothed by the Oscar-winning costume designer Milena Canonero. Jude Law narrates while Saoirse Ronan adds heart as a delicate local baker, whose pastel cake mountains are as decorative as the alpine hotel itself.

Check in at your earliest convenience.

In cinemas now.