the Directors: Wes Anderson

When you start listing the most influential and assertive of contemporary directors, Wes Anderson has got to be close to the top. After he made his first feature at the age of 27, many said he was going to be the next Scorsese, which, in a way, is exactly what he’s become.

No, Anderson hasn’t become famous for depicting street-level mobsters or shooting iconic scenes of horrific violence, but he has proclaimed himself as one of the most branded filmmakers currently working in film. At the risk of being presumptions, I think most any person with a basic interest in film can recognize a Wes Anderson movie within 30 seconds of watching it. The sepia-infused tones, the normal-to-slow motion shots, the witty, upper-class dialogue, the antique set props – it’s all part of the formula.

Many people say that you either love or hate Wes Anderson. I’m not sure I agree with that, I can’t say all of his films justify that level of polarization (some do, though). But love him or hate him or like him, it’s impossible to deny his influence.

Bottle Rocket – short (1994)

The best, most inspiring aspect about the short that started Anderson’s career is that it clearly displays that Wes Anderson wasn’t born with a knack for visual talent. It was something he grew into. The quality of the short is crap – shot in harshly overexposed black and white – but that doesn’t matter. Why? Because the film is smart, authentic, hilarious, and most importantly, evident of the filmmaker’s passion.

It’s so amusing to see what a crappy camera, a few friends and a witty script can eventually lead to. And with today’s digital transformation, the sky really is the limit. B

Bottle Rocket (1996)

The first 40 minutes of Bottle Rocket represent my favorite filmmaking of Wes Anderson’s career. There’s the 75-year plan, the robbery of the parents, the robbery of the library, Future Man, Bob – it’s all perfectly written and magically executed. When we watch those scenes, we’re watching something we’ve never seen before. A new style, a refreshing view – we’re watching a kid subtly declare that, Hey, I’m here too.

With all that in mind, it simply kills me to say that once Anthony (Luke Wilson) and Dignan (Owen Wilson, delivering by far the performance of his career), flee their life of crime to hide out in a motel, the film drops off. It loses its fast pace, its insanely snappy banter; essentially, it loses its charm. I revisit the film often, hoping I’ll appreciate its second half better, but it just always ends up disappointing me. No matter, the best parts of Bottle Rocket are Anderson at his finest. They make it easy to forgive the rest. B+

Rushmore (1998)

After the monster critical success of Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson was given more than double the budget to make Rushmore, a hilarious and heartfelt indie wonder about the trials and tribulations a precocious overachiever goes through at his private school.

Fifteen-year-old Max Fischer (a perfect Jason Schwartzman), has the drive to do it all, but none of the sense to properly execute it. He belongs to (or starts) damn near every extracurricular activity he comes across, but he gets bad grades, mouths off to superiors, and most significantly, begins acting on his love for a first grade teacher. When his good friend and fellow goon, Herman (Bill Murray, in his best role) falls for the same teacher, all hell breaks loose.

But really, Anderson’s films are not best characterized by their plot descriptions (if, in fact, the movie in question actually has a plot). Instead, it’s important to note how Rushmore is presented, rather than why. Notice the block-text title cards, the oddly appropriate rock ‘n’ roll songs, set pieces that look like they belong in Leave it to Beaver, and, of course the slow motion shots. Those ingenious, regular-to-slow shots that have become Anderson’s trademark. Rushmore is laced with a few of them (including during its final scene), and no matter how many times I watch the film, those shots still manage to put a smile on my face. Much like the entirety of Rushmore, those shots are just that good. A

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Stepping his game up and going all in, The Royal Tenenbaums is some kind of modern, hip, aristocratic work of art. The film depicts its own world in its own time, surrounded by things we think we recognize, but come to learn are notions and concepts and techniques we never could’ve imagined.

In documenting the life of Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) and his family, Anderson delivered his magnum opus; an epic tale filled with unimaginable humor, unexpected dread, and enough panache and style to fill 10 feature films. Narrated flawlessly by Alec Baldwin, the film weaves in and out of the lives of its many characters with seamless effort. In short, The Royal Tenenbaums just feels new. It’s different and alive, which is one of the finest compliments I can give a modern American film.

There are too many noteworthy performances to touch on here, but what Hackman does with his character is nothing short of revelatory. Hackman justly won Oscars for his work in The French Connection and Unforgiven, and I love him in a number of other films, including The Conversation and Another Woman, but there’s something about his performance as that son of a bitch Royal that I’ll always consider Hackman’s best. Same can be said the man who made the film, as The Royal Tenenbaums is Wes Anderson’s masterpiece. A+

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

To tone down the hyperbolic bliss a few dozen levels, I’m just going to come out and say that I hate The Life Aquatic. I for the first (and only) time in Anderson’s career, this film is evidence of a filmmaker who knew just how good he was. Like a hot blonde who dismisses a guy in a bar simply because she knows she’s a hot blonde, The Life Aquatic has a pretentiousness about it that says, I don’t give a shit if you don’t like me, I was made by Wes Anderson.

And, believe me, my distaste for this film hasn’t been without lack of trying. I’ve given The Life Aquatic several chances to somehow wow me. To convince me that it contains something I didn’t see before. In fact, I watched it just last night but unfortunately came close to turning it off several times. The film is too heavy on style and too lacking in substance, with over the top acting to boot. In short, The Life Aquatic is just too much Wes Anderson. A rare misstep in an otherwise impeccable career. D

Hotel Chevalier – short (2007)

Anderson’s flawless prologue to The Darjeeling Limited takes place almost entirety in the vast Paris hotel room occupied by Jack (Schwartzman). He sits on his bed, ordering room service and watching movies before his ex calls unexpectedly saying she’ll be at the hotel any minute. Jack freshens up, and when his ex (Natalie Portman) arrives, they engage in, well, a few things, all of which are best experienced while watching the film itself.

Hotel Chevalier garnered massive critical praise, and was commended for its ballsy marketing tactic (it was available on iTunes a few months before The Darjeeling Limited hit theaters), all for good reason: the short is quick and factual, but never reveals more than it needs to. It’s a perfect way to spend 13 minutes. Forget trailers, or, hell, trailers for trailers, THIS is how you hype a flick. A

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

In The Darjeeling Limited, three grown brothers who haven’t seen each other in the year since their father died embark on a train journey across India. They travel in hopes of reconnecting, both to each other and spiritually as individuals. What ensues is a journey of annoyance, distrust, abandonment, trepidation, and eventual acceptance. And because this is a Wes Anderson flick, everything the Whitman brothers do and say is done with comic zeal, and everything the audiences sees looks gorgeous.

I really enjoy The Darjeeling Limited, but I acknowledged that it may be Anderson’s most dividing work to date. Many of its critics argued that, because Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody), and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) come from such wealth, their trek is presented with no conflict. As if to say, because the Whitman brothers are rich and can spend money like its nothing, then it’s impossible to find them interesting. I disagree. I don’t think making a character rich makes them any less interesting, in fact, I think it is hilarious, for instance, to watch Francis rip up three first class plane tickets, just because the brothers change their mind at the last second.

I appreciate that Anderson seriously scaled back his budget (going to $17.5 million against Life Aquatic’s $50 million), because, for richer or poorer, I find The Darjeeling Limited to be an exquisite character study into the minds of three very complicated men. Also, it’s worth noting that the film takes an unaccepted, emotional turn that is unlike anything Anderson has ever put on screen. Anderson’s films always touch on the dark side of human nature, but never with such innocence. A

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

The perfect adjective is used in the title of this PG-rated, stop-motion animated film, because it is just that: fantastic. The film follows a family of foxes as its patriarch (George Clooney), is tempted back into the life of crime he left years ago. Look, if I’m being honest, I am not a fan of animated films. At all. There are a few classics I enjoy, but mostly, I have trouble buying into what I often call the “forced happiness” of it all. With that in mind, everytime I watch Fantastic Mr. Fox, I do it with a big fat giant smile on my face. It’s just delightful.

I never thought Anderson’s trademarked styles – the warm colors, snappy editing, and bitchin’ rock tunes – would translate into the world of animation. How wrong I was. A-

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Much like The Life Aquatic, Moonrise Kingdom relies far too heavily on its style to help propel its story. The film tells the humorous tale of a young boy and a young girl who attempt to flee the New England island they live on, and the search party that ensues to find them. And although it tells that story well, using all of the tricks and glitz that one has come to expect in a Wes Anderson film, there simply isn't much going on here. In fact, in my full review, I explain that I found a majority of the film to be boring and uninspired. Yes, you can definitely tell within seconds that Moonrise Kingdom is a Wes Anderson film, but what's the point in knowing if nothing great comes from it? B-

In Summation
Masterful
The Royal Tenenbaums

Great
Bottle Rocket
Rushmore
Hotel Chevalier
The Darjeeling Limited
Fantastic Mr. Fox

Good
Bottle Rocket (short)

Eh
Moonrise Kingdom

Just Plain Bad
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Previous Director Profiles include:

Woody Allen
Paul Thomas Anderson
Darren Aronofsky
the Coen Brothers
David Cronenberg
David Fincher
Stanley Kubrick
Ang Lee
Spike Lee 
David Mamet
Michael Mann
Martin Scorsese

Steven Soderbergh

Steven Spielberg
Oliver Stone

Listen to my podcast on Wes Anderson: