Author: Andy (film-critic)
from Flatlands of Illinois
What a stunning
body of work Wes Anderson has created. I will be honest, when
I first saw the previews to this film I was worried that Anderson
may have gone the way of so many other directors who have
developed their name in Hollywood. Art is replaced by money,
which is replaced by angry fans. I saw the CGI fish and began
to feel a sweat break with nervousness. Will he be able to
continue the humor from Bottle Rocket, the darkness of Rushmore,
as well as the ensemble connectedness from The Royal Tennanbaums?
Well, folks, I am here to announce that he has taken the Hollywood
money and has not veered too far off his signature course.
I always imagine Anderson's work as a very dry martini. His
humor, the most intelligent work I have seen in a long time,
is like the liquid itself, creating this bold texture while
packing a powerful emotional punch. The olives are the cast,
giving just some extra to nibble on while you enjoy the entire
drink. Place these elements together, the drink and olives,
and you have The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
To begin with,
this film would not have worked without anyone else in the
lead than Bill Murray. His ability to contain himself while
also giving us the emotional stress of being a first-time
dad as well as loosing his best friend is Oscar worthy. He
is the perfect guide for our trip, giving us that knowledgeable
laugh as well as those sympathetic eyes that seem to shout,
"Everything will work out". He is bold and smooth
as both the Captain of the vessel as well as learning the
tricks of being a father. His ability to deliver his lines
was both crucial and beautifully timed giving us just enough
to make us fall in love with him by the end of the film. Coupled
with his amazing performances is the work of everyone else
involved. Willem Dafoe proves that he can handle any role,
big or small, and make it very memorable. My favorite character
during this voyage was Cate Blanchett's role that nearly stole
the show from Murray. Her multi-depth character gave us just
the distraction that we needed to see the power of the father/son
relationship. Her quirks take us deep into the human soul
and give us a mother's perspective to this mission. It is
a beautiful counter to Murray's passive/aggressive father
figure. Goldblum is quickly becoming a favorite actor of mine,
while Huston proves that she still has the ability inside
of her. Both of these guys need to see more work. The rest
of the eclectic cast ranges from the hilarious "interns"
to the melancholy songs of David Bowie (see if you can spot
them!). Even Noah Taylor (of Vanilla Sky fame) turned out
a stunning performance. The cast shines through beautifully,
playing off each other, giving us some of the best performances
of the year.
I will admit,
Anderson's comic narrative will leave this dry taste in your
mouth, but for me it was a great experience. His humor is
dry, his films are dry, but that is what makes him different
than others in his field. He gives us those long pauses and
obscure references that will either force you to think or
create frustration because you do not understand his meaning.
I have grown up on his films since seeing Bottle Rocket, and
I love the way this man creates. One of my favorite lines
and scenes in this film that I have raved to everyone as the
epitome of an Anderson film was when Zissou first takes Ned
to the island and Eleanor tells Steve that one of his cats
died. After some banter, Ned asks what type of cat it was.
Zissou replies "Who cares. A tabby I think…"
which isn't funny at first, but then you realize that all
he has on the island are Siamese cats, which only make me
laugh harder in my seat. That is Wes Anderson humor, and it
works perfectly for me. His ability to create these challenging
characters and put them in situations that I never saw coming
(the "pirates" scene being one of them) was outstanding.
It felt as if he was throwing his crew into different troubles
daily who in turn produced some of the best work ever. Only
Wes Anderson could create beauty out of chaos.
My fear of the
CGI was muted immediately when I saw that Anderson used the
technique to create some of the most imaginative creatures
ever to lurk in the sea impressed me. He didn't use it as
a central focus of the film (until the end), and used it sporadically
so that it really didn't feel as if it was being used. The
creatures that he created are so bold and colorful that skillfully
he uses them to counter the life of Zissou, which seems be
getting darker by the day. This contrast allowed me to see
deeper into Murray's character and root for his misadventures
throughout the entire film.
Overall, I was
very impressed. I know that not many enjoyed this picture
as much as his previous works, but for me it was a fresh chapter
with a stellar cast. Anderson is slowly changing the face
of cinema, and soon others will follow trying to recreate
his award winning voice, but will not succeed. This man is
in the same boat as Gondry, Coppola, Jonez, and Kaufman. These
are the imaginative thinkers of Hollywood that continually
break the mold and open the doors to new possibilities.
