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comment by AfraidofVWoolf
AfraidofVWoolf  ·  3212 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Let's talk about Wes Anderson and the hype...

I'd say that you're sort of right that his style is pretty obvious, and it sort of just sounds like that's something your not in to, especially since I see you're fan of the subtleties and "frenchmen smoking cigarettes."

I'm not going to try and convince you to like Wes Anderson, he has a very specific style, and, as always, to each his own. However, you have to acknowledge that as a director he is (mostly) consistent with his style, and that is very impressive. To brand yourself almost by a single frame certainly makes him an auteur director, something that I'd say is sought out by most directors. His dialogue is snappy and appeals to my sense of humor, but even if it doesn't to yours, you should again be able to appreciate it.

As far as his stories are concerned you're right in that they are usually pretty plain. I watched/listened to an interview (sorry, don't know the exact timecode) with him just yesterday where he talks about his stories for a bit. He basically says that a lot of his stories aren't structured with a definitive plot in mind, and a lot of things just sort of happen. He also says that Grand Budapest is his first to follow a specific structure, and I'd argue that it did it well.

    I have only seen Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and Grand Budapest.

These are DEFINITELY his most stylized films, and in my opinion Moonrise Kingdom is definitely the worst. I know you said that watching my favorite won't change my mind, but if you're looking for a break from his aesthetics, then I really would suggest watching Rushmore. It's certainly stylized like the rest of his films, but not nearly as much. It's also Jason Schwartzman's breakout role, so if you like him there's another reason to watch it.





shappyrohman  ·  3212 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I totally respect Wes for his auteurism and adherence to style. He was heavily inspired by French new wavers who did similar things, and I am definitely impressed with his ability to maintain that throughout a whole film. It still irks me, though, and honestly it's the fan club that gets me so worked up haha oh well :)

And Rushmore* is on my list of movies to watch but I think it's fair to say his output for the past 15 years is vastly different, aesthetically, from Bottle Rocket or Rushmore

thenewgreen  ·  3212 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I was very in to Bottle Rocket when it came out and quickly became a fan of Wes Anderson's work. He hasn't had a film I disliked, but there have certainly been some I appreciated more than others. For me, Royal Tenenbaums is about as good as a film gets. The acting from Gene Hackman, Angelica Houston and Danny Glover alone is worth seeing it. I love the characters, they're all larger than life, absurd and yet there's nothing overtly unbelievable about them. Those people could all exist.

The attention to detail in the film is amazing and most importantly, I find it to be very, very funny. When I first saw that film, I left the theatre having laughed, cried and having been in awe. It's an amazing piece of work in my opinion.

He's also one of those directors that I'm close to in age and therefore, I feel like his art is progressing in accordance with my own understanding of the world of art and film.

I dig him.

shappyrohman  ·  3212 days ago  ·  link  ·  
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shappyrohman  ·  3212 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Definite props to the acting in Royal Tenenbaums. Probably the only time Luke Wilson will every make me cry lol

I think there is something to be said about vibing with a filmmaker, or any artist really. Once you find someone who seems to get you and make movies or art that just seems made for you it's unlike anything else. I'm glad you love Wes Anderson so much, and it seems like you are aware of why you like him too, which I think is putting in more thought than the average person (god I sound like a douche) as to why they like an artist.

For me it'd be Lars von Trier. No matter how much people hate on him I can't help but love everything he does, so I guess he is my Wes Anderson!