Best Wes Anderson Film's

MrSir

I'm a big Wes Anderson fan and was wondering what people think is his personal best film.Mine would be Rushmore but I wanted other's opinions.

Austin1

I'm with you on Rushmore, MrSir. Hilarious performances from both Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray.

I would rate The Royal Tennebaums as a close second - a brilliant ensemble piece but a bit rambling in places.

Finally, was it just me or was The Darjeeling Limited a little bit too out there? I still enjoyed it though.....

nix

I prefer Bottle rocket myself

niallon

I actually preferred The Life Aquatic above all else. To be fair, I'm a huge Bowie fan and as a kid I was obsessed with marine life so I'm sure that helped! But I thought it was a really kooky whilst also personal film. Still don't know why it was unfairly received.

Otis Driftwood

Why do you think its his best film OP?Bit of a pointless exercise if you dont share your own thoughts.

johnny_ultimate

I'd say if I was to pick a favourite, I'd pick Rushmore over the others. It was his first film to really capture his style and humour. Max Fischer is a wonderful creation, and Bill Murray definitely gives one of his best performances. Olivia Williams was great too. The story has that Wes Anderson style of being ludicrous and quirky, and still draws you into the characters and their tribulations. Plus: "Fischer, ye dirty wee skidmark" / "I wrote and directed a hit play!" :pac:

That said, all of his films have some charm. Bottle Rocket is good, with typically great performances and humour, but it stands out less stylistically than his other films, which is to be expected from a debut. Royal Tenenbaums & Darjeeling Limited fantastic for the same reasons as all his other films are - funny, touching, and great visuals & soundtrack. I love the Life Aquatic, and although I think there are a few moments when it drags, it makes up for that with the greatest comedy action sequences ever made. Plus this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wMoPSsn2-8

Also think Fantastic Mr. Fox was a superb film, perfectly translating his quirky style to animation.

So yeah, I'm a Wes Anderson fan, and I'd feel all his films are worthy of praise. Yeah, most of his films have a very similar style and tone, but it's such a compelling style I don't mind in the slightest.

niallon

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

the greatest comedy action sequences ever made.

I remember seeing that in the cinema. I went with my dad and neither of us had ever seen a Wes Anderson film. Whereas I reckon he was sitting in his seat wondering what in the bloody hell was going on, I was sitting there having my eyes opened to a whole new avenue of serious/madcap/off the hinge cinema. I really think Wes Anderson should be credited more than he is for just providing a nice balance between generic popcorn Hollywood and more sophisticated and artistic European cinema, he sits comfortably in the middle IMO.

MrSir

I think Rushmore is his best because it's the one movie where you have typical Anderson characters but who fit in and are believable in the real world(also it helps the performances are all round excellent and stars the great Brian Cox).By the way has anyone here seen Hotel Chevalier?It was a short Anderson made to accompany The Darjeeling Ltd.It's better then the actual movie itself.I do enjoy Darjeeling but it's too overbearing and irratating at times.Anyone care for Fantastic Mr Fox?Now that was a real return to form.

Birneybau

I'd go for "The Royal Tenenbaums", think the mood, tone and the literary allusions really work, almost like a Salinger story.

Gf loves "Fantastic Mr. Fox". Watched it twice yesterday!

Outkast_IRE

Life aquatic, fantastic mr fox and Royal tennebaums are my 3 favourites.
Darjeeling i started to watch and turned it off i will go back and watch it through just not on top of my list at the moment.

His films really do hit a spot between mainstream and indie ...... and thats a hard thing to do it would probably be so much easier to get financing if he went all mainstream but his humour would be lost in the process

Basq

Rushmore.. by a mile!

But The Royal Tenanbaums is very good too!

Hank_Jones

I'd go for The Royal Tenenbaums personally, it's a fantastic film.
The way the characters stories all interconnect is really beautifully done.
Rushmore is fantastic as well though, all his films are really, he has a very distinctive style that makes him stand out from other film makers.

Valmont

I've only seen two.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is my favourite film of all time (along with Lost in Translation). I love Bill Murray and the supporting cast are excellent. Combine all that with Wes Anderson's imagination and you have a hit. I cried, I laugh-cried, and I got angry. It's a rollercoaster of a film.

Hotel Chevalier and The Darjeeling Limited are definitely worth a look and I would recommend watching them in the order intended.

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

it makes up for that with the greatest comedy action sequences ever made.

I liked it because for a minute I wasn't sure what to think but then as it progressed I just couldn't stop laughing.

MrSir

Birneybau wrote: »

Gf loves "Fantastic Mr. Fox". Watched it twice yesterday!

Then your GF is incredibly wise I must say.

ziedth

Am I the only one who doesn't like any of him films?

I have simple tastes!

MrSir

ziedth wrote: »

Am I the only one who doesn't like any of him films?

I have simple tastes!

Care to explain why?I won't attack you for your opinion my family hates Wes Anderson movies.

ziedth

I don't have a reason per se,

I just don't care for quirky films for want of a better word.

Now granted I have only seen 3 of his films but that's enough to know IMHO.

MickShamrock

Rushmore, although I enjoy all of his work.

ztoical

Rushmore by a mile followed by The Royal Tenenbaums. Not fan of the life aquatic. Elements were interesting, really loved the cross section of the boat and a few other set pieces but over all I found it had too many weak bits out weighing the good. I felt it was too focused on Murry, don't get me wrong I do enjoy him as an actor but what I like about him in other Anderson films is the smaller parts that are a treat. 30 mins into Life Aquatic I was really bored with him and wished the other characters got more screen time.

Valmont

Austin1 wrote: »

Finally, was it just me or was The Darjeeling Limited a little bit too out there? I still enjoyed it though.....

I agree. Angelica Houston was really annoying as their mother; I found her character very contrived and arrogant. I really enjoyed the film otherwise.

Schism

It's a toss up between The Royal Tenanbaums and Rushmore for me, I did quite like The Darjeeling Limited also though.

It's hard to choose one outright.

HalloweenJack

I've only seen Rushmore, The Royal Tennenbaums and Life Aquatic.

Rushmore is by far my favourite. It's hilarious and poignant at the same time.

I liked the other two but neither could touch Rushmore.

The Recliner

Probably the Life Aquatic for me, something about it just tickles my funny bones, probably helps that the music is brilliant in it

I really disliked The Royal Tannenbaums when I first watched it and this really irked me for a long long time because I knew that logically I should like it, I guess it was jsut the mood I was in when I watched it
I rewatched it a number of years later and loved it

I think you ahve to be in the right mood for these films

I watched the Fantastic Mr Fox recently and loved it but I don't think it would suit someone who hadn't seen his previous films, I jsut don't think they would get it

Thepones

Royal Tennenbaums for me is a great one, followed closely by The Life Aquatic.

I saw Fantastic Mr Fox lately and it was great! Darjeeling Limited wasnt one i got into. It may take another watch though.

jeffreylebowski

Rushmore is my favourite, I love Max Fischer's youthful self belief. His scenes with his father Seymour Cassell are incredibly touching, and his relationship with Bill Murray is nuanced and feels oddly real.

All Anderson movies work for me on a music level, particularly The Life Aquatic, though sadly I didn't like the film at all.

Strange fact: I believe Wes Anderson's best films are the ones co-written by Owen Wilson. Wilson isn't taken seriously, but I think he provided the element of heart that seemed missing in the other films that I wasn't so crazy about.

I think Fantastic Mr Fox is a bit of a return to form, but it just didn't move me like Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.

Valmont

jeffreylebowski wrote: »

I think Fantastic Mr Fox is a bit of a return to form, but it just didn't move me like Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.

Funnily enough, I would consider myself a big Wes Anderson fan even though I haven't seen any of these films. I think a trip into Laser is in order!

missingtime

I need to revisit a lot of his movies...Seen most of them but I've forgotten and keep catching only parts of some.

Sanjuro

niallon wrote: »

I really think Wes Anderson should be credited more than he is for just providing a nice balance between generic popcorn Hollywood and more sophisticated and artistic European cinema, he sits comfortably in the middle IMO.

IMHO, it's a weird mix of an incredibly original style that's heavily influenced by others. That seems to be a contradiction, but I think that's Anderson all over.

For me, his best film is Rushmore. Many see The Royal Tenenbaums as his best, but I think he got the mix just right in Rushmore. Max Fisher is one of the best comedy characters of the last twenty years, played perfectly by Jason Schwartzman. And Bill Murray's just phenominal as Herman Blume.

Birneybau

Valmont wrote: »

Funnily enough, I would consider myself a big Wes Anderson fan even though I haven't seen any of these films. I think a trip into Laser is in order!

So...You have only seen "The Life Aquatic..."?

MiloYossarian

MrSir wrote: »

Then your GF is incredibly wise I must say.

Or a four year old child.

I think Wes Anderson is a breath of fresh air in American film. Him and one or two others are Americas saving grace (filmwise). My favourite film of his is The Life Aquatic. Love Fantastic Mr Fox too (plus it had the added bonus of giving me a new nickname for my brother "Not So Fantastic Mr Fox" coz he is a red head)
Thought Bottle Rocket was a good first effort nothing more, didn't like Darjeeling Limited at all, but I suppose that it was worth making just so Natalie Portman would take off her clothes, in my opinion anyway, but I am a slutty perv.
(Oh and for a while he was touted as the new director of spiderman so a fan made a trailer for it. Wes Anderson's Spiderman. Funny, watch on youtube)

Birneybau

MiloYossarian wrote: »

Or a four year old child.

Cheeky cnut!

I checked her i.d...