Directed By: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray
Tag line: "His life is fantastic... his wife is fantastic... his neighbors, not so fantastic"
Trivia: Altogether, 535 puppets were made for the film (Mr. Fox had 17 different styles alone)
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a delightful rarity; a kid-friendly animated adventure unlike any movie director Wes Anderson made before that still bears the unmistakable markings of a Wes Anderson film.
Upon hearing that his beloved wife (voiced by Meryl Streep) is pregnant, Mr. Fox (George Clooney), a notorious chicken thief, vows to find a new line of work.
Several years pass. Mr. Fox is now a well-respected (if somewhat obscure) newspaper columnist, and his young son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) is proving to be a handful (a bit odd, Ash seldom does what he’s told). When informed that his nephew Kristofferson (Eric Chase Anderson) will be coming to stay with them for a while, Mr. Fox decides to move his family into a bigger, above-ground home, one that overlooks three prestigious poultry farms owned and operated by Boggis (Robin Hurlstone), Bunce (Hugo Guinness), and Bean (Michael Gambon).
Itching to return to a life of crime, Mr. Fox teams up with handyman Kylie the Possum (Wallace Wolodarsky) and raids the trio of farms adjacent to his property. But Boggis, Bunce, and especially Bean are not to be trifled with, and the three join forces to rid themselves of a very pesky fox.
Based on a children’s book by Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie the entire family can enjoy, with a colorful lead character (handled wonderfully by the always-reliable George Clooney) whose various adventures will have you laughing as you're poised on the edge of your seat. Along with being both funny and exciting, Fantastic Mr. Fox is also touching in its own way; the relationship between Mr. Fox and his son Ash offers up a few heartwarming moments.
In addition to its fine thematic elements, the stop-motion animation is superb, and there are scenes within the film that are truly unforgettable, the best of which features an underground feast that’s interrupted by a tidal wave of apple cider.
Yet as good a family entertainment as this movie is, what struck me while watching Fantastic Mr. Fox was how Wes Anderson’s signature style shined through in every scene. We recognize it in an early flashback, when the Foxes break into a Squab farm moments before Mrs. Fox announces her pregnancy. Following the two as they sneak around the farm, the scene has a familiar energy to it, fueled in part by Anderson’s choice of music ("Heroes and Villains" by the Beach Boys). We’ve seen stylized moments like this before in Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and we recognize the “Anderson touch” almost immediately.
In addition, many of the director’s regulars lend their voice to the movie, including Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray (as Badger, Mr. Fox’s accountant), Willem Dafoe (as a rat hired to guard Bean’s valuable supply of apple cider), and Michael Gambon. We’re even treated to one of Anderson’s patented montage sequences (narrated by Bill Murray), where we are introduced to the film’s three evil farmers.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a unique entry in Anderson’s filmography, but there is no mistaking that it is, indeed, a Wes Anderson picture.
Directed By: Wes Anderson
Starring: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis
Tag line: "A tormenting and surprising story of children and adults during the stormy days of the summer of 1965"
Trivia: After filming was completed, Kara Hayward got to keep the kitten owned in the film by her character Suzy
Though they were comedies, Wes Anderson’s early films centered on sad characters dealing with a variety of issues, including family discord (The Royal Tenenbaums), fading glory (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), and the death of a parent (The Darjeeling Limited). These movies made us laugh, even if the characters within weren’t themselves in a laughing mood.
Set in a world much like the ones created for those earlier films - and with a style that is reminiscent of them - Anderson injects a glimmer of hope in his 2012 effort Moonrise Kingdom by focusing on young love, and featuring two individuals every bit as wounded as many of the director's previous characters, but who have found solace in each other’s company.
The year is 1965, and all hell has broken loose on the normally peaceful island of New Penzance. Suzy (Kara Hayward), the 12-year-old daughter of attorneys Mr. and Mrs. Bishop (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), has run away from home.
She is accompanied by Sam (Jared Gilman), a Khaki Scout whose troop is headquartered on the other side of the island.
The Bishops, along with local policeman Captain Sharp (Brice Willis) and Khaki Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton), organize a search party to track down the runaways. But what they don’t know is that Suzy and Sam are deeply in love, and plan to spend the rest of their lives together.
As the hours drag on, Sam and Suzy continue to elude capture, and with a major storm on the way, the search party has no alternative but to double its efforts. Will they rein in the star-crossed youngsters, or will true love win out in the end?
Moonrise Kingdom isn’t without its sad sacks. Suzy’s parents are successful attorneys, yet their marriage is on the brink of ruin. Mrs. Bishop is having an affair with Captain Sharp, the island’s lone policeman, who is an otherwise very lonely man.
Edward Norton’s Khaki Scout Master begins strong enough, but quickly loses confidence when Sam resigns from the troop and runs away. Later, the Scout Master will suffer an even greater loss, one that threatens his career with the Khaki scouts.
Each actor successfully conveys the deep sorrow that plagues their character, garnering our sympathy even as we’re giggling at their antics.
Yet it’s Sam and Suzy who are the saddest of them all. Suzy not only knows of her mother’s infidelity, but at one point also finds a pamphlet on top of the family refrigerator titled “Coping with the Very Troubled Child”, which her parents obtained in an effort to understand their daughter.
As for Sam, he’s an orphan whose mom and dad died years earlier. What’s more, he’s managed to alienate the Billingsleys, his foster parents, who decide not to invite him back home, forcing Social Services (Tilda Swinton) to get involved. Also, Sam’s fellow Khaki scouts are less than friendly towards him (when searching for Sam on the island, each one has brought a weapon along).
Fortunately, Suzy and Sam now have each other. After meeting the summer before at a school pageant, they began a year-long pen-pal correspondence, during which they fell in love and planned their "escape". The authority figures will attempt to break them up, but to no avail. Suzy and Sam have found each other, and the happiness that has eluded them in the other areas of their lives. They have no intention of letting it go. Both Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman do an outstanding job conveying the clumsiness, uncertainty, and magic of young love, and even as those around them do their best to keep the two apart, we know Sam and Suzy will probably be together forever.
The location of Penzance also plays an important role in the story (the movie was shot in Rhode Island), and, as an isle, is symbolic of its character’s feelings of isolation. Also entertaining throughout Moonrise Kingdom is Bob Balaban, who acts as the film's host and narrator, filling us in on matters outside the story (the history of New Penzance, the upcoming storm, etc). All of these elements, plus the amazing score by Alexandre Desplat, work in unison to create a “Wes Anderson world”, a place situated outside of everyday reality, but only just.
And it’s Sam and Suzy who make it feel like a nice place to visit.
Directed By: Wes Anderson
Starring: Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ned Dowd
Tag line: "They're not really criminals, but everybody's got to have a dream"
Trivia: Director Martin Scorsese named Bottle Rocket one of his top-ten favorite movies of the 1990s
It may not have been a commercial success (produced for $7 million, the movie took in a mere $1 million at the U.S. box office), but Wes Anderson’s debut feature Bottle Rocket did introduce his unique style, as well as newcomers Owen and Luke Wilson (who had no previous acting experience), to the world.
After spending a few months in a psychiatric unit suffering from exhaustion, Anthony (Luke Wilson) is once again ready to face the world. The facility’s administrator (Ned Dowd) said Anthony is free to go, but Anthony’s best friend Dignan (Owen Wilson) insists on “busting him out” of the place. So, instead of walking out the front door like a normal person, Anthony humors his buddy by climbing out the window of his second-floor room, shimmying down a rope made of bedsheets.
This is the first of many “crimes” that Dignan (who aspires to become a career thief) will plan out, and he desperately wants Anthony to join his gang.
With little else to do, Anthony agrees, and after a trial break-in (where they rob Anthony’s house), the duo recruit their pal, the wealthy Bob (Robert Musgrave), to serve as their getaway driver. Together, the three hold up a bookstore. Now wanted by the authorities, they head out of town and check into a motel, to "lay low" for a few days.
Dignan's ultimate goal is to team up with Mr. Henry (James Caan), the proprietor of the landscaping service he once worked for, who Dignan claims is an experienced thief. Now that they’ve pulled their first job, Dignan assures his pals it’s only a matter of time before they and Mr. Henry’s crew will stage much bigger heists.
But as they’re kicking back, enjoying their recent success, Anthony meets and falls in love with Inez (Lumi Cavazos), a housekeeper at the motel where they’re hiding out. To further complicate matters, Bob learns that his abusive older brother Jon (played by Andrew Wilson, Luke's and Owen’s brother) has been arrested for growing marijuana plants (in reality, the pot belonged to Bob).
All at once, neither Anthony nor Bob want to continue with their life of crime, a decision that doesn’t sit well with Dignan. So, the three go their separate ways, only to be reunited by Dignan a few months later, when he enlists their help for a major heist that he and Mr. Henry have planned out.
If they pull it off, all of them will walk away with a boatload of cash. But on a job as big as this, the risks are much greater, and any hitch could land them in prison for a long, long time. For Dignan, it's a risk worth taking. Will Anthony and Bob go along as well, for Dignan's sake, or will they sit this one out?
From its slightly off-kilter characters to its breezy soundtrack (featuring songs by Love and The Rolling Stones), Bottle Rocket serves as a fine introduction to Wes Anderson’s singular style. There’s even a nifty slow-motion scene late in the film, much like those that would make their way into Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums years later.
Bottle Rocket also features the Wilson brothers in what is their big-screen debut, both of whom succeed in making us like their characters, in spite of their flaws. Owen Wilson in particular brings an endearing naiveté to the role of Dignan, a young man out of his element who tries to convince those around him that, one day, he’ll make a great crook. But from the word “go", we can sense Dignan's insecurities; during the book store robbery, Dignan calls the location’s middle-aged manager (Darryl Cox) an “idiot” for grabbing a small bag for the cash instead of a large one. When the manager snaps back at him, calling him a “punk”, a clearly intimidated Dignan immediately starts to act more civil.
His inexperience, coupled with his enthusiasm for stealing, only makes the character of Dignan more likable, and we find ourselves rooting for him, even as we realize he has zero chance of making it (the final moments of Bottle Rocket are simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking).
As mentioned in my write-ups of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and the recent The Grand Budapest Hotel), I’m a big fan of Wes Anderson, whose unique flair improves with each successive film. Much like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and a handful of other directors, I consider a new Wes Anderson movie an “event”. In Bottle Rocket, we witness the birth of the director’s distinctive style, and thanks to the Wilson brothers, the movie is also a hell of a lot of fun!
Directed By: Wes Anderson
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric
Trivia: Jeff Goldblum plays Vilmos Kovacs, a tribute to cinematographers László Kovács and Vilmos Zsigmond
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Moments after Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel ended, I wanted to see it again. Chock full of style and humor, it’s a movie that practically demands multiple viewings, and is so entertaining you don’t mind watching it more than once.
An author (Tom Wilkinson) talks of the events that led to the writing of his most popular book. Told in flashback, we join him when, as a younger man (played by Jude Law), he resided at the nearly deserted Grand Budapest Hotel, which once had been the Republic of Zubrowka’s most popular lodgings. One day, he has a chance encounter with Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), the elderly owner of the hotel, who invites the author to dinner.
Over the course of their evening together, Moustafa recounts his early days as a lobby boy at the Grand Budapest (the younger Zero is portrayed by Tony Revolori), when he was mentored by M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), the refined concierge who oversaw the hotel in its heyday, just before the outbreak of a costly World War.
Along with his many duties, Monsieur Gustave would personally see to the happiness and well-being of the wealthy old ladies who frequented the Grand Budapest. One such woman, Madame M. (Tilda Swinton, in heavy make-up), with whom Gustave had a very "special" relationship, passes away, and in her will leaves the concierge a priceless painting titled “Boy with Apple”.
This doesn’t sit well with Madame M’s son, Dmitri (Adrian Brody), who orders his right-hand man Jopling (Willem Dafoe) to frame Gustave for murder. X Accused of poisoning Madame M. for his own personal gain, Gustave is shipped off to prison. But with the help of his trusty lobby boy Zero, as well as Zero’s young fiancé Agatha (Saoirse Ronan), he intends to prove his innocence and, if possible, bring his accusers to justice.
You can always rely on Wes Anderson to create a visually interesting film, and The Grand Budapest Hotel is arguably his most stunning achievement. With its painted backgrounds and old-world locations, the movie has a very European feel, a change of pace for the director, whose previous films put the focus squarely on American intellectuals. The Grand Budapest Hotel also features an impressive cast, including F. Murray Abraham (as the melancholy older version of Zero the lobby buy); Edward Norton (the local military commander); Bill Murray (a concierge who assists Gustave in his time of need); and Harvey Keitel (a fellow inmate of Gustave’s who has devised a plan to escape the “impenetrable” prison where they’re being held). Yet, despite its phenomenal supporting crew, it’s the movie’s lead, Ralph Fiennes, who delivers its best performance (I honestly didn’t know he could be as witty as he was in this picture).
Along with the humor, The Grand Budapest Hotel is, at times, quite exciting. The scene in which Gustave and several other inmates try to escape from prison is both tense and exhilarating, and a snowbound chase scene (where two characters on a sled pursue a third on skis) is damn thrilling.
Critics have called The Grand Budapest Hotel a masterpiece, and it’s been nominated for a number of awards (including 9 Oscar nods and a Golden Globe win as the year’s Best Picture in the comedy / musical category). Personally, I have a hard time ranking it over The Royal Tenenbaums, which is one of my all-time favorite films. But I can’t say with any certainty I’ll always feel this way. It’s possible that, the more I see The Grand Budapest Hotel, the more I’ll fall in love with it.
Directed By: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston
Tag line: "The deeper you go, the weirder life gets"
Trivia: A 50-year-old minesweeper vessel bought and towed from South Africa served as the Belafonte
As I mentioned in my write-ups of Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, one of the things I love about Wes Anderson's films is how they create an alternate reality that looks identical to our world, yet is slightly off-kilter. With 2004’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, he crafted what was, to that point, his most elaborate motion picture, giving us a place where fish glow in the dark and dolphins aren’t nearly as smart as we think.
Oceanographer and award-winning filmmaker Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) has just debuted his newest documentary, which chronicles the tragic death of his longtime associate and closest friend, Esteban du Plantier (Seymour Cassel). Estaban, it seems, was devoured by a large, shark-like creature that had never been seen before.
As his agent Oseary Drakoulias (Michael Gambon) frantically searches for the funds to shoot the second part of the documentary (where Zissou will hunt and kill the creature responsible for Esteban’s death), Zissou himself is coming to terms with the sudden appearance of Ned Plympton (Owen Wilson), an airline pilot who, by all accounts, is his biological son. Having never met before, Zissou tries to bond with Ned, asking the young man to join “Team Zissou” and accompany them on their newest adventure. That invitation doesn’t sit well with Steve’s second-in-command, Klaus (Willem Dafoe), but Zissou himself is elated when Ned accepts.
Also joining the expedition are Jane Winslett-Richardson (Cate Blanchett), a very pregnant reporter assigned to do a cover story on Zissou for her magazine; and Bill Ubell (Bud Cort), who works for the bond company that has agreed to finance the film. But as the calamities mount (including a rather violent run-in with Filipino pirates), the crew of Zissou’s ship, the Belafonte, threatens to mutiny, a move that would likely bring the film, as well as Zissou’s already faltering career, to an abrupt end.
Wes Anderson has a knack for creating fascinating characters, and the various oddballs that populate The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, as portrayed by its very talented cast, are no exception. Owen Wilson’s Ned, the son anxious to get to know his father, is polite and amiable, while Cate Blanchett’s Jane has a strength that makes her a good foil for the domineering Zissou.&
Rounding out the cast are Angelica Huston as Eleanor, Zissou’s estranged wife who never beats around the bush (at one point, she tells Steve that his favorite cat has died. When he asks what happened, she bluntly replies “It was bitten on the neck by a rattlesnake”); Jeff Goldblum as Alistair Hennessey, a former classmate and current rival of Zissou’s; and Willem Dafoe as Klaus, the second-in-command of the Belafonte who can’t hide his jealousy when Ned joins the crew.
Of course, the most interesting of the bunch is Steve Zissou, a sad sack whose best days are behind him. To put it bluntly, Zissou isn’t particularly good at his job. When thousands of glowing jellyfish wash up on the beach, he tells Ned they’re Electric Jellyfish, only to be shown up by Jane, who correctly identifies them as Vietcong Man-of-Wars. Once the Belafonte is at sea, Zissou makes one bad decision after another and puts his entire crew in jeopardy, from breaking into Hennessey’s research facility and stealing equipment to piloting the ship into unprotected waters, where it’s attacked by pirates.
Despite being the title character, Steve Zissou is not a likeable guy. When Jane asks some pointed, unflattering, questions for her article, Zissou starts referring to her in private as a “bull dyke”. But as played by Murray, he does have a certain charm that is hard to ignore; his attempts to bond with Ned are actually quite endearing. An adventurer who occasionally wallows in self-pity, Steve Zissou is a complex individual, and it took an actor of Bill Murray’s stature to bring him convincingly to life.
With so many quirky elements (the soundtrack consists primarily of David Bowie songs performed in Portuguese), it’s easy to see why some critics never warmed up to The Life Aquatic. When reviewing the movie on the TV program he co-hosted with Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper called it “one of the most irritating, self-conscious and smug films of the year”. For me, however, the skewed reality of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou feels all the more believable thanks to the work of its excellent cast, giving us some of the most memorable characters in Anderson’s entire canon.
Directed By: Wes Anderson
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams
Tag line: "Love. Expulsion. Revolution"
Trivia: Bill Murray's character wears the same suit throughout the entire film. He just changes his shirt and tie, which are always the same color as each other
Wes Anderson's films feel as if they take place in a sort of alternate reality, a world that looks very much like our own, yet is populated by bizarre, curiously interesting characters. His 1998 picture Rushmore is an early example of the quirky style Anderson would perfect over the course of his career.
It's also a very funny movie.
Tenth grader Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is the most enthusiastic student at Rushmore Academy, and takes part in dozens of the private school’s extracurricular activities, everything from amateur theatrics to beekeeping.
Unfortunately, Max is also Rushmore’s worst pupil, and is failing all of his courses.
He doesn’t have many friends, but manages to make a good impression on Herman Blume (Bill Murray), a Rushmore alumnus and self-made millionaire who is almost as much a social outcast as Max.
One day, Max discovers a hand-written quote jotted down in a library book, and his search for the person who penned it leads him to Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), a young widow who teaches first graders at Rushmore. Max instantly falls in love with Ms. Cross and tries desperately to impress her, going so far as to initiate a "civic improvement" that gets him expelled.
Things go from bad to worse for Max when he learns that Ms. Cross is secretly dating his mentor and close friend Herman Blume, kicking off a war between the two former pals that is destined to end badly.
Over the course of Rushmore, we watch as its two main characters become the closest of friends, and, as events unfold, bitter enemies. My favorite scene in the film occurs just after Max discovers the romance between Ms. Cross and the married Mr. Blume. Looking to hurt his ex-pal, Max informs Blume’s wife (Kim Terry) of her husband’s infidelity. Blume is thrown out of his house as a result and checks into a fancy hotel suite, only to be attacked the next morning by a swarm of angry bees (released into the room by Max, who, as mentioned above, has some experience as a beekeeper). Set to the tune of The Who’s "A Quick One While He’s Away", we’re treated to a revenge montage, with each character trying to out-do the other, culminating with Blume having Max arrested for tampering with the brakes on his car. It’s a funny sequence, but with a hint of sadness running underneath as we watch two very lonely people take their frustrations out on each other.
For me, Wes Anderson’s masterpiece will always be 2001's The Royal Tenenbaums, which took his odd worldview and spun it into an amusing, heartwarming tale of a family that has fallen on hard times.
If I had to pick a second favorite from his impressive filmography, it would be Rushmore, a movie chock full of humor and pathos with a keen sense of its own warped reality.
Directed By: Wes Anderson
Starring: Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston
Tag line: "Family Isn't A Word...It's A Sentence"
Trivia: Danny Glover, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson all turned down parts in Ocean's Eleven to appear in this film
The first time I saw Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums, I had mixed feelings about it. I thought it was amusing, but couldn't relate to the characters, many of whom were a bit too quirky for my taste.
A second viewing changed that, and what once seemed ‘quirky’ instead took on a bizarre sort of energy, as if everyone in this movie existed in a fascinating alternate reality.
Having seen The Royal Tenenbaums somewhere around a dozen or so times at this point, I now rank it among my favorite films of all time.
Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) and his wife Etheline (Angelica Huston) have been separated for the last 22 years. With her husband out of the picture, Etheline took control of both the family home at 111 Archer Avenue and the job of raising their three children, Chas, Richie, and adopted daughter Margot.
With Etheline’s guidance and support, all of the Tenenbaum offspring became child prodigies, but their success was short-lived. Chas (Ben Stiller), who had launched several lucrative business ventures by the time he was a teenager, is today a widowed father obsessed with the safety and well-being of his two sons, Ari (Grant Rosenmeyer) and Uzi (Jonah Meyerson). Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), a former award-winning playwright, is unhappily married to noted author and neurologist, Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray), while Richie (Luke Wilson), once a tennis superstar, has spent the last year living at sea, reeling from his emotional breakdown one afternoon on the tennis court.
And then there's Royal himself, who was recently locked out of his hotel room. Having remained close friends with Pagoda (Kumar Pallana), a servant in the Tenenbaum household, Royal learns that Etheline is about to embark on a new romance with her accountant, Henry Sherman (Danny Glover). To prevent this courtship from happening, Royal decides to reclaim his position as head of the family. Unfortunately, he goes about doing so by way of deception, faking a terminal illness and telling Etheline he has only six weeks to live.X Once again under the same roof as his estranged family, Royal may not be the most popular member of the household, but does attempt to share some worldly wisdom with his children, advice that, in the end, might be exactly what they need to sort out their troubled lives.
There's no shortage of eccentric characters in The Royal Tenenbaums, yet Hackman damn near steals the show as Royal, the abrasively dishonest patriarch who worms his way back into the family fold. Yet, despite his obvious shortcomings, Royal is basically a likable guy. In one of the film’s best scenes, he invites his two sheltered grandsons, Ari and Uzi, out for an afternoon on the town. To the beat of Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard", Royal and the boys embark on an escapade of hi-jinks as dangerous as they are illegal (he even teaches them how to shoplift cookies and a half-gallon of milk from a corner convenience store).
Sure, Royal is a horrible role model, arguably the worst young Ari and Uzi could possibly have, but he's the perfect counterweight to their father's stifling over-protectiveness, and shows the boys it's OK to live a little.
Everything about The Royal Tenenbaums, from its astute visual style to the expert narration of Alec Baldwin (often overlooked, but extremely effective) is spot-on, and I came to love this oddball collection of characters, whose lives always seemed to be teetering on the brink of disaster.
Enter Royal Tenenbaum, con-man, liar, and crook extraordinaire, who showed up just in time to save them all.
