I just finished watching all of Wes Anderson's movies

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Pinko Marx

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So...Wes Anderson, he's a name I've known and heard thrown around for a bit. Before last year I had just seen The Royal Tenebaums but thats it. So I knew of him, but didn't really know his work that well.
But then I saw The Grand Budapest Hotel about 2 months ago, and I loved that movie, so I started looking into this Wes Anderson cat.
Fast forward to this past week, in which I've been watching 1 or 2 of his movies a night. Last night I just finished the last movie I needed to see, Moonrise Kingdom. See here are my thoughts on each movie, and how I rank them.

8) Rushmore
This movie sucks. Its about a two miserable scumbags stalking and manipulating some lady that is too dumb to tell them to stop.
Max Fischer is the most annoying little shit of a kid protagonist I've seen in my entire life. Always sticking his nose somewhere it doesn't belong. He's a chronic liar, and he damn near sexually assaults a teacher, gets her fired, takes other people's money to do things to impress her, and so on. Hated this kid.
Bill Murray's Character isn't any better either. He's a miserable sad old man who doesn't even have enough backbone when to tell a kid to fuck off.
And the poor teacher lady. She's not completely innocent because she keeps talking to these two people. After a while she should have started calling the police because they would not leave her the heck alone. Ough. Just terrible all around.
Fuck Rushmore.

7) Moonrise Kingdom
Eh. Its a cute movie. Other than that I have no strong feelings for it. I did like Edward Norton's character.

6) The Darjeeling Limited
The 3 brothers didn't really click or seem like brothers to me. Owen Wilson's character was annoying. Adrien Brody was cool. jason schwartzman was jason schwartzman. It moved a little slow, and didn't really go anywhere. I get the subtext of the movie and blahblahblah, but overall the movie didn't do anything for me. still moderately enjoyable to watch.

5) Fantastic Mr. Fox
I enjoyed the stop motion a lot in conjunction with Anderson's style. The protagonist, Mr. Fox, kind of annoyed me with the way he got everybody in life threatening danger and was still a smug asshole about everything. But it had some touching movements, and I really liked the Rat villain, he was cool.

4) The Royal Tenebaums
I know this is a big favorite of Wes Anderson fans, but I just feel like it can't stand up to the next 3 movies. Don't get me wrong, Tenebaums is a great film, with an awesome cast, and yaddayadda but... not good enough. I can't point to a specific reason, I just feel this is just okay-tier.

3) Bottle Rocket
Loved this movie. Wes Anderson's straightest comedy movie. Bottle Rocket has several scenes that make me straight up laugh out loud, which is rare for a Wes Anderson film. His humor is subdued, more like "oh..hah, thats clever." The small town atmosphere of everything really reminded me of Napolean Dynamite, but not nearly as dumb and slow as that movie was. Really really liked this movie.

2) Grand Budapest Hotel
I can't say how much I love this movie. Everything about it is so great. The most Wes Anderson-ish movie. He really marries his love of symmetry, lavishly decorated sets, and quirky old white men doing quirky things. I love how he made the movie look almost like you're looking into a puppet stage. I love the humor, and the love story, the characters, the cast is just straight awesome. I've seen it 3 times already and enjoyed each viewing.

1) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
A lot of people won't agree, but this is his absolute best. Thats all I'm saying on it. 10/10 movie, one of my favorites of all time now.

Some thoughts on Wes Anderson's work as a whole:

- Mr. Anderson sure loves him some "love at first sight" stories. Damn near every movie has some dude in some life crisis falling in love with some chick. It happens in:
Rushmore
Bottle Rocket
The Darjeeling Limited
Moonrise Kingdom
The Life Aquatic
Not that I'm complaining, I'm a sucker for a good love story.

- Marathoning his movies might not be the best idea. I didn't go in order of release, so maybe thats my problem. But his style kinda wore thin in some movies for me. I get it Wes, you love symmetry and centering your shots, yes.

- Does Wes Anderson have the best rotating actor list? He might.
 
I think a lot of people WILL agree on the Life Aquatic actually. Movie is legit.
I'd put Fantastic Mr Fox more toward the bottom maybe switch it and Moonrise but that's a good list.
 
Pretty sure I have opposite taste from the OP. I LOVE Moonrise Kingdom and Darjeeling Limited. Controversial opinion, but IMO Life Aquatic is mediocre at best. Rushmore is great too.
 
Life Aquatic is easily my least favorite of all of them. Pretty much the only Wes Anderson movie I legitimately do not like at all.

1) Royal Tenenbaums
2) Grand Budapest
3) Rushmore
4) Bottle Rocket
5) Moonrise
6) Darjeeling
7) Fox
8) Life Aquatic

god Life Aquatic sucked
 
Just saw Darjeeling for the first time this weekend with some friends. The ones with siblings really dug the dynamic between the leads. I liked it, a bit slow, but the setting was so pretty. Loved the ending.

Also Amara Karan, wow.
 
That's an agreeable list, op, except I'd list Darjeeling higher. Like, right behind Grand Budapest Hotel higher. Something about how it presents brotherly relationship(s) spoke to me.
 
I think Grand Budapest is his best. Terrific movie. Best of 2014 in my opinion, and that's saying something considering how good a year it was for movies.
 
Mixed feelings right now. OP is one of the few people who understand that The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is Wes Anderson's best film... but he thinks Rushmore sucks?!
 
The Culture Vulture said:
More people should seek out Bottle Rocket.
Click to expand...

Forreal though. I wasn't expecting much as it was his first flick, but this movie was awesome.
Its also like.. the only movie that isn't about miserable rich white people, it's about miserable poor white people! You could say Rushmore too, but there were still plenty of rich people in that movie.
 
Of what art critics would call, "High Anderson style," Budapest Hotel is my favorite. It's nice to finally have a vulgar, sex obsessed, libertine in one of his films. Bottle Rocket is it's equal but it's not bogged down (not an insult) by his aesthetics.

Scorseseon Bottle Rocket

A couple of years ago, I watched a film called Bottle Rocket. I knew nothing about it, and the movie really took me by surprise. Here was a picture without a trace of cynicism, that obviously grew out of its director’s affection for his char­acters in particular and for people in general. A rarity.
Click to expand...
 
I absolutely adore The Royal Tenenbaums but I think Grand Budapest may just inch it off the top spot, what it will take for me is a lot of rewatching before I know for sure and I have yet to see the movie which you placed as top but I will most definitely check it out if you think it's better than Grand Budapest.
 
mac said:
Of what art critics would call, "High Anderson style," Budapest Hotel is my favorite. It's nice to finally have a vulgar, sex obsessed, libertine in one of his films. Bottle Rocket is it's equal but it's not bogged down (not an insult) by his aesthetics.
Click to expand...

High Anderson Style is a great way to put it, I guess. The Life Aquatic and Grand Budapest stand very close to each other in my ranking.
 
Fantastic Mr. Fox should have been a half hour or so longer. The beginning feels way too rushed. If it wasn't, it would be god-tier IMO.
 
ReplacementPelican said:
I absolutely adore The Royal Tenenbaums but I think Grand Budapest may just inch it off the top spot, what it will take for me is a lot of rewatching before I know for sure and I have yet to see the movie which you placed as top but I will most definitely check it out if you think it's better than Grand Budapest.
Click to expand...

I'll just say The Life Aquatic really touched me. I just sat in my chair and contemplated life for like an hour after seeing it. I teared up at one of the final scenes. And I don't cry often.
I'm not saying to expect that, because thats probably a rare reaction, but it's that good to me.
 
OP missed the point of Rushmore.

Max Fischer and Bill Murray's character are supposed to be horrible, broken people.
 
I've seen all his movies except for Bottle Rocket. I disagree with you on Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums (didn't like it that much) but I do think The Life Aquatic was one of his better films.
 
I have seen everything except Bottle Rocket and Darjeeling, but man I love Tenenbaums and dislike Zissou. Budapest is his second best behind Tenenbaums.

1. Tenenbaums
2. Budapest
3. Rushmore
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. Moonrise Kingdom
6. Zissou
 
You don't fully understand a Wes Anderson movie until you've seen it 3 times. You're opinion on any of his movies literally does not count unless you have seen the movie 3 times. A bunch of people reading this think I'm joking or being pretentious but I'm as serious as cancer. 3 viewings is the golden rule for his films. At this point you will be able to tell if you truly like or dislike the film, and no sooner.
 
Pinko Marx said:
I'll just say The Life Aquatic really touched me. I just sat in my chair and contemplated life for like an hour after seeing it. I teared up at one of the final scenes. And I don't cry often.
I'm not saying to expect that, because thats probably a rare reaction, but it's that good to me.
Click to expand...

"I wonder if it remembers me?"

I love Life Aquatic. It was the first Wes Anderson movie I'd seen in theaters - I saw it with my brother in a mostly-empty theater in Atlanta. There were probably only four or five other people in there, and my brother and I were the only people laughing. It's also rad for all of those awesome David Bowie covers by Seu Jorge.

Timedog said:
You don't fully understand a Wes Anderson movie until you've seen it 3 times. You're opinion on any of his movies literally does not count unless you have seen the movie 3 times. A bunch of people reading this think I'm joking or being pretentious but I'm as serious as cancer. 3 viewings is the golden rule for his films. At this point you will be able to tell if you truly like or dislike the film, and no sooner.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is pretty true. I was lukewarm on Darjeeling when I saw it in theaters, but after repeated viewings, I've really come to like it. I haven't revisited Moonrise or Grand Budapest since their theatrical runs, but I'll get back to them eventually.
 
To trash Rushmore is to also trash movies like "Harold and Maude" or "The Graduate", all three are quirky, feature repugnant characters, go to uncomfortable places, yet are complete cinematic gems.
 
I'm interested in hearing people who like Wes Anderson, but who either don't like or actively dislike The Life Aquatic, explain how come.
 
Wes Anderson is one of my favorite directors ever. While I disagree with you about Rushmore, your top three are spot on. Life Aquatic is amazing.
 
1. The Life Aquatic
2. Moonrise Kingdom
3. Rushmore
4. Grand Budapest Hotel
5. The Royal Tenenbaums
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. The Darjeeling Limited

Still need to see Bottle Rocket.

Honestly though, this order is basically random. Royal Tenenbaums could feel like my favorite sometimes.
 
Edited my post a bit

Life Aquatic is easily my least favorite of all of them. Pretty much the only Wes Anderson movie I legitimately do not like at all.

--------GOAT--------
1) Royal Tenenbaums
2) Grand Budapest
3) Rushmore
------REALLY FUCKING GOOD-----
4) Bottle Rocket
------PRETTY GOOD-----
5) Moonrise
6) Darjeeling
------AVERAGE----------
7) Fox
-----STRAIGHT UP UNENJOYABLE-------
8) Life Aquatic

god Life Aquatic sucked
 
Took me 2 viewings to appreciate Fantastic Mr. Fox. Now I laugh my ass off at it. The mother is the best. "If what I think is happening is happening, it better not be" Amazing.
 
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