For weeks I have been planning to write about Moonrise Kingdom and Wes Anderson this week. In preparation I watched all his previous films again, read reviews and background info and watched the trailer again and again. What I forgot to do is go to the cinema. Well now it’s already Tuesday so instead of a review of Moonrise Kingdom all I can write is an introduction to Wes Andersons older pieces and promise to tell you all about his new film next week. So let’s get started on our Wes Anderson Double feature…
Wes Anderson is called the prototypical Hipster-director and his name stands for success at the box office. His new film Moonrise Kingdom opened the Film Festival in Cannes and Anderson is now definitely one of the top directors.
In 1992 the philosophy student Anderson wrote a script fort he short film Bottle Rocket with his fellow student Owen Wilson. Watching that film (a black and white picture in which three small town boys reinvent themselves as thieves) again today, one feels like Anderson was already a fully developed director at the time. Then and now his films pay close attention to detail, the actors and basically turn costumes, little ticks of the characters and the between the line humor into protagonists of the story.
I want to introduce his first three films this week and save the rest for next!
Bottle Rocket (R: Wes Anderson, USA 1996)
1993 Sundance Film Festival screened the short film, which this first feature is adapted from. The feature also accompanies the crooks on their „escape“ and lovilngly portrays their megalomania, neurosis and charisma. Owen and Luke Wilson play the main parts and give their characters depth and a strong profile. Just as in Andersons later films, the looser types are highly likeable in this film.
Rushmore (D: Wes Anderson, USA 1998)
Jason Schwartzmann plays 15 year-old private school student Max Fischer. Max says going to Rushmore Private School is his hobby and is so caught up in his extra curricular activities it seems he is paid to do so. Of course Max is a prime example of what one could call a nerd, but he is so honest and heartfelt one cannot deny liking him. When he falls in love fort he first time, Max’ determination takes a turn to the worse…
The Royal Tenenbaums (R: Wes Anderson, USA 2001)
This film was Wes Andersons break-through film. The Screenplay, as always written by himself and Owen Wilson, received an Academy Award nomination and Gene Hackman won a Golden Globe for his hillarious performance.
This family is simply strange. Each character tries to prove something, some have a massive ego where others seem to just be hollow inside. It’s a genius study of family structures, hierarchies and relationships and below the funny surface lies more thruth than you’ll be able to take in one viewing.
