Wes Anderson

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#51 Post by **mfunk9786** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:57 pm

I still wonder whether you watched the same movie as everyone else, Domino. I can't imagine not being swept up in this film's charms. It's middle-of-the-road in terms of Anderson's other films, but it has all the relaxed charm of a David the Gnome or Rankin/Bass holiday special.

#52 Post by **matrixschmatrix** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:07 pm

It might be my most rewatched and widely recommended amongst his movies- it's fun without the bite of a Royal Tenenbaums, which is both a strength and a weakness, but it's also incredibly sweet and the form of it is endlessly charming in of itself.

flyonthewall2983 · #53 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:17 pm

Maybe it's that lack of bite that puts it down on my list (mind you, on this list Bottle Rocket is last which I double-dipped from DVD to Blu-ray without question). Wes is the only director right now I can think of who does R-rated comedies with fairly big budgets and name casts that doesn't resort to crude sex or toilet humor, which is a feat unto itself.

Zot! · #54 Post by **Zot!** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:18 pm

matrixschmatrix wrote:It might be my most rewatched and widely recommended amongst his movies- it's fun without the bite of a Royal Tenenbaums, which is both a strength and a weakness, but it's also incredibly sweet and the form of it is endlessly charming in of itself.

The animation is nicely done, but don't you guy's get a little bit of the creepy Roald Dahl vibe from it?

#55 Post by **matrixschmatrix** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 1:26 pm

Creepy in the sense of undercutting what could otherwise be cutesy, I suppose, but that's part of the charm for me- it's handmade looking and slightly ungainly and every once in a while will stick in something like the characters eating like monsters, which serve to prevent it being saccharine.

#56 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:17 pm

mfunk9786 wrote:I still wonder whether you watched the same movie as everyone else, Domino. I can't imagine not being swept up in this film's charms. It's middle-of-the-road in terms of Anderson's other films, but it has all the relaxed charm of a David the Gnome or Rankin/Bass holiday special.

Well, it's obvious just browsing rankings here that I get different things out of his films-- to me Moonrise Kingdom is so clearly his best film (and is indeed a masterpiece worthy of so many earlier uneven attempts at reconciling style with filmic needs to finally get it all so right), and it's barely invoked, which is frankly beyond comprehension for me. But me being to the side of general consensus here or elsewhere is hardly news!

Michael Kerpan · #57 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:20 pm

I haven't seen Mr. Fox yet, but Moonrise Kingdom is also my favoite (by a substantial margin over the earlier films I've seen).

#58 Post by **swo17** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:26 pm

We all know what this is leading to:

01. Rushmore
02. Moonrise Kingdom
03. The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
04. Bottle Rocket
05. The Royal Tenenbaums
06. The Grand Budapest Hotel
07. Fantastic Mr. Fox
08. Isle of Dogs
09. The Life Aquatic
10. The Darjeeling Limited

Last edited in 2022

Michael Kerpan · #59 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:28 pm

Oh my god -- it's a list -- and not in an authorized list-allowed forum,

#60 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 3:32 pm

01 Moonrise Kingdom
02 the Royal Tenenbaums
03 Isle of Dogs
04 Rushmore
05 the Grand Budapest Hotel
06 the Darjeeling Limited
07 Bottle Rocket
08 the French Dispatch
09 the Fantastic Mr Fox
10 the Life Aquatic

RANKINGS CURRENT AS OF 04/09/2021

Red Screamer · #61 Post by **Red Screamer** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:16 pm

1 Moonrise Kingdom
2 Rushmore
3 Royal Tenebaums
4 Fantastic Mr Fox
5 Life Aquatic
6 Bottle Rocket
7 Darjeeling Limited

Kirkinson · #62 Post by **Kirkinson** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:20 pm

I still haven't seen Bottle Rocket or Darjeeling Limited, but aside from those two I have actually liked every Wes Anderson film a little more than whichever Wes Anderson film preceded it. I agree with Domino that Moonrise Kingdom is definitely his best, but contrariwise, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a fairly close second.

I do worry that this trend is artificially inflating my expectations for Grand Budapest Hotel, though.

OnOnt · #63 Post by **OnOnt** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:29 pm

1. Bottle Rocket
2. Moonrise Kingdom
3. The Royal Tenenbaums
4. The Darjeeling Limited
(leap)
5. Rushmore

jindianajonz · #64 Post by **jindianajonz** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:40 pm

1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. Rushmore
3. Royal Tenenbaums
4. Life Aquatic
5. Fantastic Mr Fox
6. Bottle Rocket
7. Darjeeling Limited

I think I need to go home and finally pull out that Bottle Rocket blu tonight...
EDIT: Finally saw Moonrise Kingdom and Bottle Rocket

#65 Post by **Mr Sausage** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:43 pm

I'm surprised you have Moonrise Kingdom as low as you do, mfunk. I seem to remember you raving about it on here when the thing came out.

#66 Post by **matrixschmatrix** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:55 pm

1. Royal Tenenbaums
2. Rushmore
3. Moonrise Kingdom
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. Bottle Rocket
6. The Life Aquatic
7. The Darjeeling Limited

(though honestly, my feelings about his work change every time I watch one of his movies, and I have yet to not like one.)

I've always had the top two in my head as far and away his best work, but Moonrise is on par with them- and as I've only seen it once, it might well shift relative to them. I think the top three and bottom three are likely to remain so, with Fox solidly in the middle.

Joshuadel · #67 Post by **Joshuadel** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:55 pm

01. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (not a popular opinion, I know, but boy, I sure felt vindicated reading Seitz's new book)
02. Rushmore
03. The Royal Tenenbaums
04. Moonrise Kingdom
05. Fantastic Mr. Fox
06. The Darjeeling Limited
07. Bottle Rocket

I should note that, outside of PTA, I think Wes Anderson is maybe the most consistent American filmmaker working today. I tend to lurk here more than contributing, sure, but I'd certainly count myself among his cheerleaders.

jindianajonz · #68 Post by **jindianajonz** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 5:02 pm

Joshuadel wrote:01. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (not a popular opinion, I know, but boy, I sure felt vindicated reading Seitz's new book)

I always thought Life Aquatic got a much harsher rap than it deserves. I think part of this stems from the fact the characters in it just aren't as likeable; Steve Zissou doesn't have any of the self-serving charm that Gene Hackman had in Royal Tenenbaums, and Owen Wilson is just too naive and pathetic to earn too much sympathy. But I also really enjoy the risks Anderson took with this one, from the super-cheesy special effects to the retro synthesized(?) soundtrack. I also find that I make references to this movie more than any of his others; my girlfriend always laments that when I describe scenes from this movie it sounds absolutely hilarious, but when she sits down and watches it, she's just bored by it.

#69 Post by **mfunk9786** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 5:26 pm

Mr Sausage wrote:I'm surprised you have Moonrise Kingdom as low as you do, mfunk. I seem to remember you raving about it on here when the thing came out.

It's more an indication of how much I love his films on the whole. Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums are DNA-altering all-time favorites that came out at just the right time in my life to stick, and haven't worn off on repeat viewings, so they're always going to accompany the top two spots - but his other features aside from Bottle Rocket (which is only okay, and didn't hold up well at all the last time I watched it) have the unfortunate designation of merely being excellent. Moonrise Kingdom is lovely, but it comes off feeling a bit slight, and sort of a misuse of an ensemble - there are a ton of actors who need screen-time, and for me it turns the town of New Penzance into a little bit of an A-list elbowing match (the relationship between Bill Murray and Frances McDormand [and Bruce Willis], for example, always seems to need either 5 minutes less or 10 minutes more screentime to feel right). These are ultimately minor quibbles as I love a whole lot about the film, but it doesn't inhabit as definitive a universe as Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Life Aquatic - and that's what draws me to Anderson's work so much - his ability to create a wonderfully tiny, precise other dimension for his characters to exist in. When it feels like there should be some more exposition, or when there's some weak dialogue and plotting at times (The Darjeeling Limited), I'm plucked out of that fantasy world, even if only for a moment.

knives · #70 Post by **knives** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 5:38 pm

jindianajonz wrote:
Joshuadel wrote:01. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (not a popular opinion, I know, but boy, I sure felt vindicated reading Seitz's new book)
I always thought Life Aquatic got a much harsher rap than it deserves. I think part of this stems from the fact the characters in it just aren't as likeable; Steve Zissou doesn't have any of the self-serving charm that Gene Hackman had in Royal Tenenbaums, and Owen Wilson is just too naive and pathetic to earn too much sympathy. But I also really enjoy the risks Anderson took with this one, from the super-cheesy special effects to the retro synthesized(?) soundtrack. I also find that I make references to this movie more than any of his others; my girlfriend always laments that when I describe scenes from this movie it sounds absolutely hilarious, but when she sits down and watches it, she's just bored by it.

It's not my favorite by a long shot, but I do consider it his most important film yet being a sort of explosion to what was being done before. A sort of end to the summer with Darjeeling Limited (my personal favorite) as its epilouge.

jindianajonz · #71 Post by **jindianajonz** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 5:47 pm

Also, if you assume that people vote with their halloween costume choices, Life Aquatic wins by a longshot.

#72 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 5:52 pm

Well, my ex gf and I were Sam and Suzy last year...

dustybooks · #73 Post by **dustybooks** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 6:58 pm

Can't believe Matt's letting this go. But I can't resist:

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox (am I the only person this weird!?)
2. Rushmore
3. Bottle Rocket (#2 and #3 nearly tied)
4. Moonrise Kingdom (just saw it for the second time this weekend and it is truly lovely)
(really big leap)
5. The Darjeeling Limited
6. The Life Aquatic
(less big leap)
7. The Royal Tenenbaums (I know, I know, it just never really worked for me)

The Narrator Returns · #74 Post by **The Narrator Returns** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:13 pm

1. Royal Tenenbaums
2. Rushmore
3. Moonrise Kingdom
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. Life Aquatic
6. Bottle Rocket
7. Darjeeling Limited

#75 Post by **Matt** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:41 pm

dustybooks wrote:Can't believe Matt's letting this go.

I've given up.

Wes Anderson

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