I don’t usually like animated films of the modern era, but Anderson’s Dahl movie was for me one of the best any-kind-of-films of the modern era. And he’s generally one of the directors that keeps me from writing off this era of film. I’m much more fond of the 40s and 30s, and 70s, but I’m glad we have Anderson playing on our team. It’s hard for me to take opinions seriously when they come from someone who dismisses his films.
I have to admit, I have liked each Anderson film a little less since Rushmore, with his animated efforts being outliers. I think they're all great, but I've been less and less smitten each time. By the time "The Grand Budapest Hotel" came around, I remember thinking, "This is all pretty on-brand for him by now." Still, I do think there ain't a stinker in the bunch.
Sure, I don’t argue every movie is equally good, and the truth is that I have missed several of them. So I’m not an expert. But I’ve seen enough good ones to feel that he’s been great a few times, and probably has also been great a few more times. I’m also the kind of fan who often enjoys films/albums/books that are less well regarded among an artist’s canon, and this isn’t necessarily a position from which one can convince others; there are Hitchcock films, and Coen Brothers films, and Billy Wilder films, that have few defenders, and I’m one of the defenders.
I think Anderson's work has been all pretty precise -- he doesn't half-ass anything. I do think accommodating all the movie stars who want to work with him leads to some of the more shallow characterizations in his movies overall. Ben Stiller's character, and performance, in "The Royal Tenenbaums" always emotionally shatters me, for example (particularly that last line, oh my!). But his character overall feels like kind of a shtick compared to the other Tenenbaum siblings.
In spite of its all-star cast and meta trappings, I ultimately fell for "Asteroid City" because of the beating heart of Jason Schwartzman's mournful, lost widower. But something like "Grand Budapest", I think, feels distractingly overstuffed. "Moonrise Kingdom", though, struck the perfect balance for me, because the two kids are unquestionably the lead characters.
In spite of all that, I think he loves his own characters more than any American filmmaker.
I need to see the ones I haven’t seen; it would not surprise me to discover I agree with you.
Re: Ben Stiller. I don’t recall much about that movie, but I’ve generally been less fired up about him than everybody else seems to be. Talented guy for sure, very sharp and witty, but a lot his stuff seems like a shtick to me.
I saw this one in the theater and it was probably my favorite of Anderson’s since Rushmore (his best). To your point above I’ve come to connect with his stop motion animals more than his live action humans by this point in his career. The I Won’t Hurt You needle drop on the trailer was perfect and was glad to see your focus on it.
Maybe the last interesting thing Cranston has done post Breaking Bad?
I remember my daughter saw it with me when she was around 8 and she was thrown off by the bits of violence between the dogs.
I must have had a false image of Cranston after Breaking Bad. There are some highlights, but otherwise, looking at that filmography... ooof, that was rough.
Yeah I was thinking his transition into leading movies was so so. This and Drive being the two stand outs I can think of. He’ll always be Jerry’s dentist to me though.
I don’t usually like animated films of the modern era, but Anderson’s Dahl movie was for me one of the best any-kind-of-films of the modern era. And he’s generally one of the directors that keeps me from writing off this era of film. I’m much more fond of the 40s and 30s, and 70s, but I’m glad we have Anderson playing on our team. It’s hard for me to take opinions seriously when they come from someone who dismisses his films.
I have to admit, I have liked each Anderson film a little less since Rushmore, with his animated efforts being outliers. I think they're all great, but I've been less and less smitten each time. By the time "The Grand Budapest Hotel" came around, I remember thinking, "This is all pretty on-brand for him by now." Still, I do think there ain't a stinker in the bunch.
Sure, I don’t argue every movie is equally good, and the truth is that I have missed several of them. So I’m not an expert. But I’ve seen enough good ones to feel that he’s been great a few times, and probably has also been great a few more times. I’m also the kind of fan who often enjoys films/albums/books that are less well regarded among an artist’s canon, and this isn’t necessarily a position from which one can convince others; there are Hitchcock films, and Coen Brothers films, and Billy Wilder films, that have few defenders, and I’m one of the defenders.
I think Anderson's work has been all pretty precise -- he doesn't half-ass anything. I do think accommodating all the movie stars who want to work with him leads to some of the more shallow characterizations in his movies overall. Ben Stiller's character, and performance, in "The Royal Tenenbaums" always emotionally shatters me, for example (particularly that last line, oh my!). But his character overall feels like kind of a shtick compared to the other Tenenbaum siblings.
In spite of its all-star cast and meta trappings, I ultimately fell for "Asteroid City" because of the beating heart of Jason Schwartzman's mournful, lost widower. But something like "Grand Budapest", I think, feels distractingly overstuffed. "Moonrise Kingdom", though, struck the perfect balance for me, because the two kids are unquestionably the lead characters.
In spite of all that, I think he loves his own characters more than any American filmmaker.
I need to see the ones I haven’t seen; it would not surprise me to discover I agree with you.
Re: Ben Stiller. I don’t recall much about that movie, but I’ve generally been less fired up about him than everybody else seems to be. Talented guy for sure, very sharp and witty, but a lot his stuff seems like a shtick to me.
I saw this one in the theater and it was probably my favorite of Anderson’s since Rushmore (his best). To your point above I’ve come to connect with his stop motion animals more than his live action humans by this point in his career. The I Won’t Hurt You needle drop on the trailer was perfect and was glad to see your focus on it.
Maybe the last interesting thing Cranston has done post Breaking Bad?
I remember my daughter saw it with me when she was around 8 and she was thrown off by the bits of violence between the dogs.
I must have had a false image of Cranston after Breaking Bad. There are some highlights, but otherwise, looking at that filmography... ooof, that was rough.
Yeah I was thinking his transition into leading movies was so so. This and Drive being the two stand outs I can think of. He’ll always be Jerry’s dentist to me though.