Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) - Wes Anderson

Yes. It's nice that this has all of Anderson's little quirks, and it's funny to watch the characters behave exactly like they would in a live action film, but overall, not one of Anderson's best.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - Wes Anderson

I enjoy this film, particularly the latter sections, but I don't know if I quite "get" the whole point of it. What is Anderson trying to say? Is it about any particular filmmaker? Is it Anderson predicting his own future? Or is it about the genre of documentary in general as a dying art form? Who even knows?
I do like the David Bowie music translated into Portuguese. Seu Jorge makes the soundtrack an important part of the film, and it is very enjoyable to hear these brilliant beautiful songs in a different language.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - Wes Anderson

Still the best film ever. I notice new things every time I watch it! After all this time, always.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Submarine (2010) - Richard Ayoade

Following on from the other day's rewatch of Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - Wes Anderson and sticking with the theme of young love in indie films, I got the family to watch this British modern classic. I think they preferred this one, due to it's setting in the 80s when my parents actually grew up, and its humours a lot more mainstream and atypically British. Obviously, they're both amazing films, but for different audiences.

I think, overall, I prefer Submarine, due to its self aware narration format, which I like, particularly when one looks at the in jokes with camera technique, for example, 'the biopic of my life will only have the budget for a zoom out' (cue zoom out from Oliver). Craig Roberts, who plays Oliver, is also a reason why this film is brilliant. He plays pubescent teen so perfectly and with so much feeling, yet ever so subtley.

Also, something I never noticed before is that there is a poster in the background, when Jordana and Oliver go to the cinema, advertising one of Sight and Sound magazine's top ten films of all time: La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc [The Passion of Joan of Arc] (1928) - Carl Theodor Dreyer (not a prequel to a Mel Gibson film). Just a nice little spot, was that.
On first watch I've never got the thrill of the music in this film, but this watch, I would like to hail Alex Turner as the genius he is, both for this soundtrack and his bands!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - Wes Anderson

I don't think my family quite "got" this film. But I love it just the same on second and third watch. What a brilliant film. I look forward to Anderson's next venture: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - Wes Anderson

Re-watched for the exam revision. It still surprises me with how good it is. And it is pretty damn good: the best.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - Wes Anderson

Fan-fucking-tastic! Took me a bit to appreciate it, but it's a realistic portrayal of how first loves feel about each other: against the world.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Bottle Rocket (1996) - Wes Anderson

As Wes Anderson's first ever feature film, it is lacking some of the stuff that makes the others so brilliant, but it is good in its own way. It has the tell tale quirks, not as much of the auteurship of the others, but hints at what is to come. A particular shot that shows his style is one where Luke Wilson climbs out of a manhole thing on to the roof, and it's just perfect symmetry. Another is where the two main characters go through Owen Wilson's plan for their life, and it reminds me so much of all his other films where they go through photo books or letters in the same unique style. So yeah, it's still a really awesome movie.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - Wes Anderson

I think I said, when reviewing Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom (2012), that this was one of my favourite films of all time.
I rewatched it with my girlfriend as she hadn't seen it, and forgot to mention how much Hotel Chevalier (2007), which is the short prologue film, also helps the narrative in Darjeeling, just explaining more about Jason Schwartzman's character in the film, and the way in which he "makes up" stories, which all the other characters take to mean him. It also explains Natalie Portman's cameo a lot more.
I like the way Anderson is clearly a nice guy as well, as he manages to make certain actors come back to help him with other films, in this film particularly Bill Murray as the man who misses the train at the beginning. perhaps if Adrien Brody swapped places with him, we'd have witnessed a whole different film. I wish I was part of Wes Anderson's inner sanctum of cast and crew. Oh, one can dream.
I really enjoy this film, time and time again, watching it, and think Rita to be one of the saddest film creations ever imagined in film. She strives to escape her life on board the train, and Jack offers her the chance, but she knows she never will. Amara Karan, who plays Rita, was grossly underused when she was in St Trinian's (2007) - Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson, and I think she is an actress to watch out for in future films.

 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - Wes Anderson

I'm a big fan of Wes Anderson. I have seen most of his films, and own them on DVD. I was genuinely gutted when this one wasn't released to mainstream cinema. I had no way of getting to the ones that were showing it, so I was really happy when I got it for my birthday yesterday from my girlfriend. (NB It was my birthday yesterday, by the way.)
It was amazing. It is perhaps my second favourite Wes Anderson film, after Darjeeling Limited (2007). The only problem I had, was the lack of Owen Wilson. It doesn't feel like a Wes Anderson film without him in it. Even the Jason Schwartzman part seemed more like a cameo, than a full part. Oh well, it was still a brilliant film, and the kids will hopefully go on to become big stars, or at least Anderson collaborators. I read rumours on the internet that Anderson was already considering a sequel with the Sam character going to war in Vietnam, as he was the appropriate age, but whether that comes off or not is a different story. I think that'd be the first Wes Anderson sequel and war film.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★