The lights dim, the projector whirrs, welcome to this week's double feature.
Ah yes, the first of many. Welcome, one and all, to the Double Feature, which will hopefully be a weekly happening every Friday in which I review two movies, because why review just one at a time? On the roster for tonight are two movies from critically-acclaimed and well-awarded director, Wes Anderson. Settle in, grab some popcorn, and roll the footage.
Rushmore
"I saved Latin. What did you ever do?"
Rushmore is the second feature length film directed by Wes Anderson. The plot revolves around Max Fischer, an attendee at the prodigious Rushmore Academy. He struggles with his grades, having only gotten a scholarship after writing a hit play in the second grade, and is threatened with being thrown out if he doesn't get his grades up in time. The plot continues from there, and results in all sorts of things happening, most pivotal being his falling in love with a first grade teacher, this being the main driving force behind the movie. The plot is well put together, delightfully ridiculous, and everything that a Wes Anderson fan could possibly want or expect from him and his screenwriting buddy, Owen Wilson. While the movie relies a bit too much on montages in my opinion, the montages themselves are well-paced, well-crafted and well-coordinated. After all, this is the movie that most of his signature style draws origin from. Speaking of style, let's talk about just that. Wes Anderson's style is extremely recognizable, much like his movies (making it a pairing to rival chocolate and peanut butter). Any sound byte or freeze frame from his movie can easily be known as guaranteed, bonafide Anderson. The script, staging, everything works together fantastically. With only eight films in his filmography, "Wes Anderson" may as well be a genre in itself. Every shot is beautiful and wonderfully creative, this also being a result of the set design. While his later movies are, in my opinion, much more visually interesting in their utilization of bold, warm color schemes and contrast, the first two, Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, are still just as recognizable. One way to describe a Wes Anderson movie is as a quirky children's storybook. They have a definite charm and simplicity to them that's paired with a bright and colorful atmosphere. Even the music reflects the charm of a child's storybook. Not to mention how quirky everything is. The characters, shot construction, music, everything is adorably quirky. This only serves to add to the comedy, and sometimes the drama, of the movie. All of these key elements are at play in Rushmore and they work together wonderfully, but it's quite evident that at this point his style still has some evolving to do. The soundtrack, as well, is perfect for this movie. The pieces composed by Mark Mothersbaugh are catchy, whimsical, and match the tone fantastically. His work could rival Danny Elfman. Overall, it's a fantastic movie in comparison to others, but not quite his best work. It doesn't have the same color or beauty as his later works and has a few pacing inconsistencies here and there. Thus, Rushmore gets a rating of 7/10.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
"Don't point that gun at him, he's an unpaid intern."
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is the fourth feature-length film written and directed by Wes Anderson. For this movie, Wes departed from his usual screenwriting buddy Owen Wilson and teamed up with Noah Baumbach. While not his greatest film and receiving his lowest Rotten Tomatoes score to date, The Life Aquatic is definitely a personal favorite. The Life Aquatic follows Steve Zissou, once a world-renowned oceanographer but has since lost his touch. His newest documentary, "The Jaguar Shark Part 1," in which his long time friend and fellow oceanographer, Esteban, is eaten, is remarked by critics to feel "forced, unnatural, and artificial." Having lost the glory he once could revel in, Steve sets out to show the world the jaguar shark is real, but is interrupted by an unexpected visit from Ned Plimpton, who is supposedly the byproduct of one of Zissou's love affairs. Taking him aboard and along for the ride, Zissou and his crew face pirates, power shortages, asshole peers, and, once more, another passing. Though it's considered to be the black sheep of the "genre" of Wes Anderson upon it's first release and receiving a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's quite apparent to me that this is still a Wes Anderson movie. Deadpan line delivery, a fantastic score by Mothersbaugh, warm color schemes, the color yellow, it's all there. While I'll admit that it's certainly no Grand Budapest Hotel, I still greatly love The Life Aquatic. It's just as Wes Anderson as any of his other movies, along with the added benefit of fantastic stop motion provided by stop motion legend, Henry Selick. Every underwater scene is richly colored, boldly contrasted, and wonderfully animated (minus the actors of course). In conclusion, don't let the seemingly poor score drive you away from this movie. It's not his best work of course, but definitely worth a watch for any film or Anderson buff. With this in mind, The Life Aquatic gets my final score of 8/10.
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