The Royal Tenenbaums / The Life Aquatic

There's a movie being released on Christmas day, and while I don't encourage anyone to use a holiday like Christmas to be watching movies in a theater, I do however, encourage you to watch The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Though I haven't seen Wes Anderson's first two films, I did see The Royal Tenenbaums and liked it immensely. No, it is not for everyone, but it is a masterfully filmed and very well made movie. The Life Aquatic should be no less good. The trailer exibits much of the dry humor present in Tenenbaums. Some folks just don't get this type of humor. Their loss.

An amazing quality in Tenenbaums is Wes Anderson's eye for screen composition. He essentially places his camera in the middle of the scene, and strategically positions his actors and set pieces in a wonderful way that takes full advantage of the widescreen format. Every scene is a feast for the eyes, and doesn't require the use of fancy camera movement or quick cuts to create artistic expression. I am looking forward to all the great locations in The Life Aquatic. Lush environments should provide many new artistic expressions.

Another defining attribute in Tenenbaums is the use of static shots, as in, a picture, or an actor just staring into the camera as a caption is displayed, revealing the name of who or what we are looking at. It is a welcome part of the storytelling and is not a widely used method in today's films. The best one has to be the picture of the cover of a book written by Bill Murray's character. I won't reveal what is on the cover, only recommend that you watch the movie to feel the full effect. It is side-splittingly funny!!!

As for those who don't get this type of movie, I say this: It is best to stay away from the films of Wes Anderson. You might hurt your fragile little brain. Better you just turn on WWE Smackdown! to catch all the nuanced performances and high drama that this amazing form of entertainment can offer.
The previous statement is in reference to a lady I overheard whilst browsing in a Blockbuster Video store a few years back. She was telling a neighbor how she rented The Royal Tenenbaums and had no idea what she was watching, only to exclaim "Get this crap out of my DVD player!" I suppressed a laugh as I was reminded of the character Helen in the movie Tommy Boy. Helen is a midwestern woman who'd rather watch American Gladiators than important news. I couldn't help but think of this woman. So American Gladiators is more to your liking? My, how we've evolved.

Steve's Oceanic world