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Monday, March 17, 2014

Top 10 Male Performances in Wes Anderson Films

Here are the men (and foxes, and narrators) who have seamlessly captured the essence of Wes Anderson’s unique world, all while delivering solid performances. There are certainly several more to choose from, so don’t hesitate to share your favorites!

10. George Clooney in Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
as Foxy Fox


Fantastic Mr. Fox is full of splendid voice performances, none more so than its star, George Clooney. You can really tell that Clooney was eager to inhabit the Wes Anderson universe in any way that he could. Funny, touching, silly and real – all around perfect voice acting.

9. Bruce Willis in Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
as Captain Duffy Sharp

That scene where Captain Duffy Sharp lets the newly-orphaned Sam stay at his trailer overnight… by far my favorite moment of Moonrise Kingdom. Willis brought a quiet melancholy to Sharp that we hadn’t seen from the actor in a long, long time.

8. Alec Baldwin in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
as The narrator

Alec Baldwin’s exacting, sardonic, New Yorker narration for The Royal Tenenbaums is one of my all-time favorite film narrations. Baldwin’s voice has life, and it is indeed as important to the film as any of the principal players.

7. Adrien Brody in The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
as Peter Whitman

I love Brody’s work as Peter for several reasons, perhaps the most obvious was that it was Brody’s first attempt at real comedy, and he nailed it. But the hallmark of this performance is the moment Peter realizes he failed to rescue a small boy. The rushed passivity in which he announces the child’s death is truly heartbreaking.

6. Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
as M. Gustave H.

Much of the success or failure of The Grand Budapest Hotel relied solely on Ralph Fiennes. As the eager-to-please, M. Gustave H., Fiennes had to sell the absurd antics of the film, and convince us that he’s having a damn fun time while doing it. If Fiennes’ performance wasn’t as pitch perfect as it is, then the film would’ve suffered badly. Thankfully, Fiennes proved yet again that he is a master performer, able to tackle any tone in any genre.

5. Luke Wilson in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
as Richie Tenenbaum

“I’m going to kill myself tomorrow.” Probably all that needs to be said here.

4. Jason Schwartzman in Rushmore (1998)
as Max Fischer

Nearly 2,000 boys were seen for the role of Max Fischer, but damn if Anderson and his casting director didn’t make the right choice by going with Schwartzman. One might argue that Schwartzman’s considerable gene pool (son of Talia Shire, nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, cousin of Nicolas Cage and Sofia Coppola) helped him craft an early understanding of the subtitles of acting. But either way, his Max Fischer is one of the finest screen debuts I’ve ever seen. He is the personification of a Wes Anderson character.

3. Owen Wilson in Bottle Rocket (1996)
as Dignan

Owen Wilson has a knack for playing poor bastards in Anderson’s films, and my favorite among them will always be Dignan. From his fool-proof method of springing his friend from a mental hospital, to his hilariously ill planned library heist, to that insanely detailed 75-year plan, Wilson’s portrayal of Dignan is an actor going all in, knowing he has nothing to lose. The choices in Wilson’s humor could’ve seriously misfired, but he committed to them and delivered a star making performance.

2. Bill Murray in Rushmore (1998)
as Herman Blume

Rather famously, Bill Murray only received $9,000 for his contribution to Rushmore, proving that an actor’s gross earnings have nothing to do with the quality of performance. With some obvious exceptions throughout the years, Murray is an actor who typically takes on roles based on strength of story. And because he enjoyed Bottle Rocket so much, he decided to give this Herman Blume fella a go, resulting in one of the finest performances of his career. It is utterly impossible to envision anyone else inhabiting the loathsome, pitiful world of Herman Blume.

1. Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
as Royal Tenenbaum

Gene Hackman hinted at retiring a few times throughout the late stages of his career, but near the release of The Royal Tenenbaums, he made it clear that he wasn’t going to be in the acting game for much longer. And although he did appear in two other films (the decent courtroom thriller, Runaway Jury, and the forgettable comedy, Welcome to Mooseport), for all intents and purposes, Hackman’s work as Royal Tenenbaum will be forever remembered as his impeccable swan song. There simply isn’t a false step to be found in his performance. He presents Royal as a sad, reprehensible asshole, often with sheer glee. Few men could attempt (and achieve) the delicate tonal balance of this performance the way Hackman managed to. What do we have to do to convince this guy to start taking on roles again?


27 comments:

  1. Marvelous list! Love the inclusion of Murray, Hackman and Willis! I'd also agree that Clooney is spectacular in Fantastic Mr. Fox, and in my eyes was better than his Oscar nominated performance from that year.

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    1. Thanks! Clooney is damn fine in that film, but I'm a poor judge for comparing voice acting to screen acting. I liked him in both of those films very much.

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  2. I'm so happy to see you highlight Willis' work on here. Totally underrated in my opinion. It's one of those performances that made me think, why don't we see more of this guy. The soft, tender, and melancholic side of a man who so often goes for tough but more and more just looks bored. I'm actually amazed at how well he was able to fit into Anderson's world, and Moonrise Kingdom is one of my favorite Anderson films because of his work in it.
    Also cannot disagree with Hackman and Murray's spots here. Totally perfect (even though I'm not a huge Tenenbaums fan) for those roles. Rushmore is probably still my favorite Anderson pick because of perfect casting and acting from Murray and Schwartzman (along with a great script).
    Also, when are we going to get Clooney to do a live action Anderson pick?

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    1. Man, I really wish Willis would take on more roles like this as well. I know action is his bread and butter, but his skill is in the understatement. When I see him in interviews, he has the type of melancholic glow to him that plays so well in roles like Moonrise, or even The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable.

      I'd love to see Clooney pop up in a live action Anderson flick!

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  3. Ooooooo awesome list! Love that you included Brody here, no one talks about him much. I think my favourites would be both Schwartzman and Murray in Rushmore, followed by Clooney and Baldwin.
    I am dying to watch Grand Budapest Hotel. I have big hopes for Fiennes' performance.

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    1. Thanks! I think you're gonna love Fiennes in that film. He has a particular brand of quirkiness that I think you'll enjoy. And Brody... I just love him in that movie.

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  4. Cool list, but I'm a little out of the loop. I need to actually see The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore.

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    1. Thanks man. Ahh you should definitely track those down. Anderson at his best.

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  5. That is a great list but... why there's no Klaus from Life Aquatic? He's the best thing in that movie. He's so sweet, so funny, and has some of the best lines. Willem Dafoe was so perfect in that film... you disappoint me! *CRIES*

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    1. I agree with Dafoe being perfect in that movie as well.

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    2. I honestly don't remember him in that movie. But I don't remember much of that movie at all, except that I really did not like it. Maybe I'll give it another go for Dafoe. Maybe.

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  6. Wonderful choices! Glad to see Murray and Owen Wilson so high. I didn't even remember that Alec Baldwin narrated The Royal Tenenbaums. I need to rewatch it ASAP.

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    1. Thanks! Baldwin brings that perfect level of quirkiness and New York smugness to his narration. I love it so much.

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  7. Great list! Some of the characters are my favorites - Gene Hackman, George Clooney and Luke Wilson, among others. I have yet to see The Grand Budapest Hotel (but very excited to do so). Anderson's characters have quite the personality, so it's difficult not to like them especially if you're a fan of his work.

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    1. Thanks! He really is great at helping actors immerse themselves into his unique world. Rarely do we see an all out poor performance in a good or great Wes Anderson film.

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  8. Great list. I'm glad you have Luke on here - I think his role as Richie is probably the best work he's ever done. Where would Murray as Zissou have ranked on your list? His work in that film is obviously mostly comedic but some moments really shine. Too bad Hackman doesn't act anymore, he was great as Royal. Willis did great work in Moonrise, I hope Anderson uses him again (although I think he only used him because he's always a cop). I have a feeling he enjoyed the hell out of making Moonrise, I think he's getting a little tired of the same old shit. Any actors you'd like to see work with Anderson? I realized this morning that De Niro would probably be great in an Anderson flick. My opinion anyway.

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    1. Thanks man. Unfortunately, no actors from Life Aquatic would make my list (or probably the next 10 on my list). I've seen that movie three times, and like it less every time I watch it. I do think some of the performances are okay, but they're given poor material to work with. Just my opinion though.

      Other actors I'd like to see work for Wes... Honestly, I'd like to see him carve out some great roles for women. I'm about to post my female performances list from his films, and in drafting that post, I realized there weren't many to choose from. I know Wes has an affinity to all things French, so maybe my darling Marion would fit well in his world?

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    2. Good points. I'd like to see Natalie Portman work with him some more.

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    3. I think she could definitely sustain a leading role in one of his films. That'd be a great combo.

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  9. Wonderful list, Alex....and with so much to pick from. Bruce Willis and Bill Murray just had to be included but it was inevitable for Gene Hackman to top the list. He is a true master---I understand his choice to retire but, oh, for one more!

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    1. Thanks Dawn! Hackman is such a master indeed. I too understand his longing to get away, but so many of us would LOVE a return.

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  10. Awesome to see Willis here, I didn't like Moonrise Kingdom as a whole but his performance was truly beautiful.

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    1. Yeah, I'm with you there. I was meh on the movie, but I did enjoy him quite a bit.

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  11. Nobody could have topped this list but Hackman. His character's such a rascal, but damn can that man act. And who knew Luke Wilson could be more than a pretty face? I don't think he's done anything close to his work in Tenenbaums.

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    1. Hackman had to be king, right? "Such a rascal..." Ha, I love that.

      And Luke... he really nailed it as Ritchie. I love that performance so much.

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  12. I find it very interesting that Bruce Willis, a man known for playing tough guy action roles, would deliver one of, if not his best performance in a Wes Anderson movie. But I guess that's what a lot of people thought with Bill Murray (just replace "tough guy action" with "wise-cracking comic"). Wes is famous for his idiosyncrasies in his films, and the ones in his casting are always fun.

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    1. So much fun. And I agree that Willis gave one of his career-best performances in that film. Who knew? I'd love the two of them to work together again.

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