WES ANDERSON MOVIES
One writer. Six films. Infinite terror
WES ANDERSON HAS been making films for over 20 years, often offbeat, often obsessed with ornate labelling and fine details, and always perfectly balanced on the eye. I am about to binge six of them in order to gain a better understanding of the Anderson oeuvre and see what kind of a person emerges at the end. Will I still be me? Or will I be a butterfly with rococo wings?
9AM BOTTLE ROCKET
I start off slow, with Anderson’s debut movie. Bottle Rocket is a quaint crime caper that serves as a perfect gateway to Anderson’s world of introverted eccentrics (hello, Owen Wilson) with complicated relationships and finely written notes, all accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack. A very enjoyable and surprising watch, principally because I remembered it not being all that great, and because it has a warm heart buried in the middle.
10.40AM RUSHMORE
This is where the Anderson we know so well today truly found his feet, and found his Murraymuse — also the debut of the sublime Jason Schwartzman. This film is a corker: warm, weird, cruel, theatrical and so very funny. Bill Murray is having the time of his life with a light behind the eyes he hadn’t had since Groundhog Day. And it has a delicate and charming script executed to perfection. I find myself beaming from ear to ear. Two films in, and I’m quite enjoying this hot tub of quirks.
11.25AM THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
Featuring one of my favourite Gene Hackman performances, Anderson’s third movie is utterly hilarious, and has so much care, joy and affection embedded inside. The line that Ben Stiller’s Chas utters to his father (“We’ve had a rough year, Dad”) destroys me every time. It’s such a boileddown, simplified way of describing a deep trauma that feels so true to real life. It’s a perfect example of why this film is so bewitching — how messed up and complicated families can be, and what we hold on to when people leave.
1.30PM THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU
An ethereal, beautifully shot and designed sea adventure all about various people looking for rare entities like belonging, understanding, love, and a jaguar shark. This one has always struck me as feeling as cold and distant as the protagonist himself, possibly because it doesn’t have the happiest of endings. The low point of the endeavour — the sad vibe as Team Zissou march along to the sounds of David Bowie — has put me in a bit of a funk. Plus, the excessive water imagery has not been overly kind on my bladder trigger.
3.45PM FANTASTIC MR. FOX
It only naturally follows that a man so obsessed with controlling the finest details of every shot took the next-best step and found a way to control the finest details of every performance. Anderson and stop-motion animation is a match made in heaven, and this film is delightful. It’s a real pick-me-up that lifts my spirits. Bring on the finale. The world is my oyster. I may even have a Twix.
5.30PM THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Ralph Fiennes’ short quest to become the most surprisingly charming comedic screen presence of the new millennium reached its apex. He bounces around the walls of the hotel and has chemistry with every single actor he bumps into. The film itself is fine; there are some lovely miniatures, model work and paintings too, although it pales a little in comparison to Anderson’s more heartfelt work. Still, what a lovely warm bath to sit in.
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU IS OUT ON 25 JUNE ON BLU-RAY