Director Wes Anderson turns 51 years young on May 1, so it is the perfect time to celebrate this influential, innovative filmmaker and his work. Anderson has released nine feature films to date, and here’s my order of preference from ninth to first. Do you agree? Well, Wes has not made a bad film, so there are no right or wrong answers with my favorites and yours.
Enjoy, and Happy Birthday, Mr. Anderson!
“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” (2004).
9. “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” (2004) – Oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) probably never heard the saying: sometimes the best revenge is to smile and move on. Zissou claims that a mysterious fish – a jaguar shark – ate his best friend Esteban (Seymour Cassel). Geez, this creature allegedly bit him in half, so Zissou and his crew (who follow their leader and wear matching red knit hats) board the Belafonte, an eccentric antique vessel with notable oddities, such as two albino scouts (a.k.a. dolphins) swimming in the water-filled hull with cameras strapped across their bodies.
Yes, the captain vows retaliation. He’s a Captain Ahab of sorts, but – except for the down-on-his-luck anti-flair - Murray plays himself, or at least a familiar side that he’s played many times on the silver screen: a smart-alecky, quick-witted, cynical figure. A pilot (Owen Wilson), an emotionally fragile journalist (Cate Blanchett), and a group of unpaid interns are in tow on this wandering voyage as well, but Anderson’s film doesn’t feel as fun as it should be.
Still, the director includes enough deep sea cinematic eye candy, generous helpings of David Bowie covers, and a humongous list of stars to help us follow the skipper and company to the very end. Willem Dafoe is priceless as Zissou’s faithful right-hand man, and hey, hire Klaus (Dafoe) for any home project, add him to your softball team, or perhaps, include him on your next paddleboard group outing.
Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson in “The Darjeeling Limited” (2007).
8. “The Darjeeling Limited” (2007) – About a year after their father died, Francis (Owen Wilson) talks his brothers Jack (Jason Schwartzman) and Peter (Adrien Brody) into a spiritual journey on the other side of the world. They hop on a train – called The Darjeeling Limited - with a cartoonish collection of caramel-colored luggage decorated with palm trees and all the mammals from an animal crackers box – and travel in India towards an unknown destination (to Jack, Peter and us).
Anderson confines his three talented stars into a rather tight sleeping car, as Peter’s and Jack’s anxieties pose prickly and playful banner, while Francis attempts – many times in vain – to convince his brothers of his altruistic intentions. This buddy…err brotherly road trip movie heavily relies on the actors’ spontaneous chemistry and the emotional scabs that siblings often pick at and probe. At the same time, a delightful newcomer Amara Karan offers affable interest outside of the brothers’ cramped traveling compartment.
Anderson ensures to include beautiful countryside moments and intriguing mystery about their outing’s endpoint, but halfway through the picture, the narrative takes an off-putting and sudden tonal shift. It’s a stark reminder that the characters and events are not as joyful as their colorful and decorative mode of transportation. Still, a sequel with this three feels warranted. Maybe a skiing trip in the Swiss Alps or a river raft trek on the Amazon. Let’s see what Francis dreams up next.
Lumi Cavazos, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson in “Bottle Rocket” (1996)
7. “Bottle Rocket” (1996) – Have you ever fired a bottle rocket? You can point one in a specific direction, but the smart move is to light the fuse and run for cover, because who knows where it will go. That’s Anderson’s first feature in a nutshell.
Dignan (Owen Wilson), an early 20-something loose cannon, orchestrates his best friend’s escape from a psychiatric hospital, but this mastermind doesn’t realize that Anthony’s (Luke Wilson) stay is a voluntary one. Anthony plays along with Dignan’s makeshift design, and this is their typical pattern. He now follows this mischief-maker’s 75-year plan that includes a life of crime. Their buddy Bob (Robert Musgrave) tags along too, but this is a twosome as the Wilson brothers shine in their film debut(s).
Luke aptly plays the straight man, one built on self-doubt and introspection, and Owen carries colossal clumps of charismatic chaos that may have inspired Darwin Awards’ wannabes over the last 24 years. (Note, that Luke’s and Owen’s older brother Andrew plays Bob’s older bro.)
A satisfying road trip, this designed car crash will scare young men to run towards responsibility and sound ethics, but you may be inspired to name your firstborn after Owen’s character. Dignan might be the coolest name on the planet.
Gene Hackman in “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001)
6. “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001) – Poor Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman). He’s a disbarred lawyer with a prison record, and The Lindbergh Palace Hotel - his home for the last 22 years – kicks him out. Royal is broke and homeless, and now add jealousy to form an unpleasant trifecta. His estranged wife (Anjelica Huston) is marrying another man (Danny Glover), and that’s the last straw in Royal’s adolescent mind. So, he pretends to suffer from stomach cancer to reconnect with his kids – Chas (Ben Stiller), Richie (Luke Wilson) and Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) – and win Etheline (Huston) back.
Although Anderson includes a slew of big stars, “The Royal Tenenbaums” is – first and foremost - Hackman’s movie, as our eyeballs gravitate towards him during all his on-screen minutes. Royal is a colossally selfish jerk, but this patriarch’s boorish behavior includes an impish turn, when he escorts his grandsons on an afternoon of hijinks.
Royal says, “(It’s) putting a brick through the other guy’s windshield.”
Okay, they don’t go that far, but their two-minute frolic is one of the very best moments in any Anderson film. The attempted connections between Royal and his kids are less effective, and the film dives into unnecessary dark territory that clashes the more comic scenes. Nonetheless, see this film for Hackman. This two-time Oscar winner is 90 and retired, but how can we talk him into acting again? Isn’t 90 the new 70?
Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray in “Rushmore” (1998)
5. “Rushmore” (1998) – “He’s one of the worst students we’ve got.” Dr. Nelson Guggenheim (Brian Cox) is referring to Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 15-year-old at Rushmore Academy, who is in grave danger of expulsion due to his poor grades. If Max applies himself, he may or may not earn straight A’s, but he spends nearly all his waking hours with after-school clubs, so he finds zero time for studying. In a wacky montage, Anderson proudly reveals Max’s other pursuits with smattering snippets of this industrious kid’s work as the French Club president, Yankee Review publisher, debate team captain, lacrosse team manager, and astronomy society founder, to name a few.
While his academic dismissal feels like an impending certainty, Max turns most of his attention towards a thoughtful new Rushmore teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams) and a wealthy donor Herman Blume (Bill Murray). As bad luck would have it, both Max and Herman develop a crush on Rosemary and vie for her affections.
Anderson shows great affection for the material, and “Rushmore”, his second film, contains many of his celebrated signatures - such as a chapter format, droll humor and oodles of comical, eccentric visuals – that he’s infinitely known for in his later work. He contrasts the movie’s mellow, conversational tempo by regularly filling the screen with lively, unconventional images, and the occasional blast from the mod soundtrack compliments this dichotomy. Schwartzman commands every on-screen second, and Murray’s sardonic nonchalance adds the perfect ingredient to Max and Herman’s warm friendship and fierce rivalry.
George Clooney and Meryl Streep in “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009)
4. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009) – Set in a rural valley somewhere in the UK, Mr. and Mrs. Fox (George Clooney and Meryl Streep) live in a hole with their son Ash (Jason Schwartzman), but this fantastic husband/dad wants to move up. Hence, they relocate above ground to a big beautiful tree, and the Foxes’ little corner of the world seems just fine, but they face two problems. First, three despicable farmers – Boggis, Bunce and Bean - live nearby.
“One fat, one short and one lean. These horrible crooks, so different in looks, were nonetheless equally mean.”
Second, Mr. Fox loves to steal birds, so Boggis’ chicken house, Bunce’s geese house and Bean’s cider cellar look ripe for the picking, and this triggers Mrs. Fox to declare, “If what I think is happening is happening, it better not be.”
You see where this is going, right? Can Mr. Fox come up with the right master plan? Whether it was part of Anderson’s master plan or not, he creates a film that kids and adults can enjoy, but rather than a Disney affair, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” doesn’t necessarily offer gentle winks. Sure, our noted director delivers exceeding likable protagonists – who work as a newspaper columnist, a landscape painter, a lawyer, and more - and wraps this cinematic package with sentimental and inviting stop-motion designs, but the narrative unconventionally unfolds, as Anderson fans would expect. The marriage of the two ideas organically fit with no pressing, forcing or overthinking, just like the on-screen wedlock of Clooney’s and Streep’s animated alter egos.
Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, and Koyu Rankin in “Isle of Dogs” (2018)
3. “Isle of Dogs” (2018) – Weight loss, dizziness, narcolepsy, insomnia, extreme aggressive behavior, high temperature, low blood pressure, acute moodiness, and spastic nasal expiration are the horrible symptoms that plague the dogs of Megasaki City, Japan. This triggers Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) to banish all the metropolis’ canines to an isolated and abhorrent locale called Trash Island, a place – shaped like middle fingers - that would make Disney’s WALL-E gasp in horror.
Hounds of all breeds, shapes and sizes attempt to live in this cesspool of abandoned nuclear power plants, rusted-out factories, misshapen plastic, defunct electronics, broken bottles, and punctured tires, because they have no choice. Well, a 12-year-old boy named Atari (Koyu Rankin), who lost his dog Spots (Liev Schreiber) to this forced quarantine, creates his fate and jets to the sickly wasteland to retrieve his companion. A sympathetic pack of pooches (Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bob Babalan, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Murray) supports Atari on his impossible journey in a stop-motion picture that sometimes feels indescribable.
Anderson outdid himself with seemingly millions of unreal, meticulous images of bright and beautiful Japanese culture set 20 years in the future and also the complete antithesis with an infamous isle of garbage. Yes, the sights soar, but so do the sounds, as “Isle of Dogs” earned a Best Original Score Oscar nomination, led by a thunderous drum opening and The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band’s gentle “I Won’t Hurt You.” Animal lovers, and especially dog people, will feel hurt at times, but Atari offers some hope…and a pocketful of doggie biscuits.
Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward in “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012)
2. “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012) – Ah, teenage love. Once Sam (Jared Gilman) meets Suzy (Kara Hayward), all bets are off. A disillusioned orphan looking for new experiences, Sam falls for Suzy straight away, and with neither teen particularly enjoying their respective lives at home, they run off together. These two lovebirds, however, don’t get very far, and Suzy’s parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) call the cavalry to track her down and drag back her home.
Soon, everyone living on New Penzance Island, “16 miles long, forested with old-growth of pine and maple”, is searching for these two crazy kids in a hilarious and farcical Romeo and Juliet runaway romance. William Shakespeare, however, couldn’t foresee the scores of stunts and sight gags that orate on the screen for our amusement, like a treehouse defying the laws of physics and a well-placed escape hole paying homage to “The Shawshank Redemption”. Unlike the clear-thinking Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) in the 1994 prison classic, Sam’s plan - due to his tender age – slogs in highly-flawed puddles.
Still, it’s easy to admire his self-assurance, and his confidence scores off the charts. Sporting a Daniel Boone derby and leaning on his exhaustive Khaki Scout training, he trusts his deep understanding of the wilderness and carries an array of whip-smart solutions for every possible scenario.
“Moonrise Kingdom” is Gilman’s and Hayward’s first movie, but walking into this picture, don’t expect any first-time jitters. With Anderson grabbing everything in his bag of tricks and splattering them on the silver screen combined with two charismatic, fresh performances, don’t wager against “Moonrise Kingdom”…but kids, don’t try this at home.
Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori in “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014)
1. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014) – The film’s opening reveals that the former Republic of Zubrowka sat on the farthest eastern boundary of the European continent and then cuts to a young woman dressed in a beige overcoat and a complimentary beret. She enters the Old Lutz Cemetery, an aging graveyard with hibernating trees and crooked headstones.
This focused lady then stops and pays respect to a lofty gravesite with a bronze bust and a matching open book that avows, Author and In Memory of Our National Treasure, respectively and then looks down at her novel “The Grand Budapest Hotel” with an unusual pink cover. It’s a color that one might find smeared on a 3-year-old’s frosted cupcake or a nightmarish halter top hanging from an Esprit store around 1985. Well, Anderson’s picture then shifts to 1985, and the aforementioned author (Tom Wilkinson) reveals that writers don’t possess endless imaginations. Instead, he declares that a novelist receives ideas from a random and willing John or Jane Q. Public who wishes to spill a personal story.
Well, inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig, Anderson and Hugo Guinness penned a yarn for the big screen. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a wildly-involved tale set in 1932 Eastern Europe that includes a constant array of surprises, a playful, almost Dr. Seuss-like production design and one of the most memorable live-action characters in Anderson’s film repertoire.
Monsieur Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), a concierge at the earlier-remarked resort – that matches the same pink as the previously-mentioned book cover – carved out an intricate and comfortable existence. He’s the heartbeat of The Grand Budapest Hotel and devotes every waking minute to ensure his guests’ serenity and satisfaction, which occasionally includes rendezvous with “rich, old, insecure, vain, superficial, blonde, and needy” women.
These dalliances eventually encapsulate him into a tricky quandary, along with an innocent bystander, a recently-hired lobby boy named Zero (Tony Revolori). They find themselves in a bizarre, cartoonish, and Keystone Cops-like collection of incidents at the hotel and Zubrowka’s snowy countryside, and Anderson frequently and impishly strikes his audience with a harmless figurative balloon. We blink and smile after every good-humored blow, as the scenes, sights (and sites) change at a dizzying pace.
It’s a movie that demands repeat viewings to absorb the mass collection of cameos and supporting performances, discover previously overlooked petite details, admire Anderson’s signature framing, and applaud Fiennes’ uncanny knack for hypnotizing us into Gustave’s suave savoir-faire and suddenly diving into impatient micro-eruptions.
Fiennes earned a Best Actor (Comedy or Musical) Golden Globe nomination, but looking back, he deserved an Oscar nomination too. Regardless, Fiennes, Anderson, Revolori, Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, and many more will proudly stand tall with “The Grand Budapest Hotel” – in grand halls and modest memorial parks - for as long as people wish to make movies…or tell their stories.
Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic. Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.
