The Life Aquatic (gil sez B)

[AllSussedOut]

The circle jerk starts here... Murray, Turturro, Linney, Paltrow, Jason Schwartzman... DEVO... a possible collaboration with Michael fucking Chabon... where do I sign?

And French oceanographers... "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou"... what the hell?

http://www.wesanderson.org/untitled/

[gil]

My fucking god.

~gil

[AllSussedOut]

I didn't think this news unworthy of a circle jerk thread. Don't know if it's going to come out before 2004, but... "my fucking God," indeed.

[gil]

From what little has been revealed, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it will be the best film of 2004.

~gil

[Cole]

I just jizzed.

[The Lawn Wrangler]

agreeed

edit: with gil i mean @@@@ :-) :-)...

[Mr. Plow]

Holy shit. I'm gunna need a new pair of pants after reading this.

[Pepito]

Originally posted by Mr.Plow
Holy shit. I'm gunna need a new pair of pants after reading this.
and a new pair of glasses too

[Cole]

what

[Mr. Plow]

:uhh:

Anyways, this sounds pretty awesome. Too bad that Owen Wilson won't co-write the script, but I do hope he's in the film. He's only good in Wes's films.

[Simpson Purist]

Yeah baby, I can't wait to see what Wes Anderson has in store next :D.

[AllSussedOut]

Just glad that Max and Mr. Blume are both gonna be back. :)

Go, Mordecai, indeed. Speaking of which, did any of you happen to see Hackman pick up the Cecil B. Demille award last night? Unfortunately, it looked as though he needed to be, um, changed... not a happy lookin' boy.

[DAntae]

but where does my life go from when this film is completed. downhill of course.

[cheex]

yum-a-mundo.

[lee]

w00

[Mr. Plow]

Bump

According to this article dated February 7th, 2003, http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/story/0,1259,---15492,00.html, Owen Wilson will indeed reteam with Anderson on his next "Oceanography" script.

Owen Wilson says he plans to team up for a fourth time with his longtime friend and co-collaborator Wes Anderson after he finishes up some of his acting projects.

As his latest film "Shanghai Knights" opens, Wilson, 34, admits he plans to go back to writing again with Anderson, who co-wrote the scripts for "Bottle Rocket," "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenembaums" which brought both of them Oscar nominations last year for best original screenplay.

[whoismrbungle]

i gotta get those two CE DVD's.

I've never seen bottle rocket.

[Cosmo Kramer]

ASO, I thought you left.

[Anti-Everything]

this thread is 3 weeks old cosmo...

[Mr. Plow]

http://www.filmjerk.com/nuke/article492.html

As pre-production on Anderson's new film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou continues in America and Italy, more details about the film are coming out. The film, which will star Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, follows the relationship of a famous oceanographer and his estranged son, while they and the father's motley crew embark on a series of wild adventures.


The Life Aquatic will mark the first time in Anderson's career that he has not collaborated with Owen Wilson on the screenplay. Anderson's writing partner this time is writer/director Noah Baumbach, whose film The Squid and The Whale Anderson has signed on as producer.

In the Anderson tradition, Zissou's crew will include a number of quirky characters. Pele, a Brazilian man in his late 20s or early 30s, will bear a resemblance to the famed soccer player Pele. His character likes to play guitar and is a fantastic singer. Twentysomething Anne-Marie Sakowitz is young, tough, sharp, thin, boyish, smart, determined. Possibly is of European or Israeli background, Anne-Marie often walks around the ship topless, although she is not voluptuous. Wolodarsky, in his thirties, is both a physicist and a composer, with an offbeat, mad scientist quality. He is definately an eccentric, interesting presence on the ship. Bobby Ogata, in his mid twenties, hails from Japan. Bobby is athletic and a bit of an innocent. The currently unnamed teenaged Intern will be smart, charming, aggressive and earnest.

Shooting is scheduled to being at Rome's famed Cinecitta Studios, home to many of Federico Fellini's movies, this August. Disney will distribute the film in the fall of 2004.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Scorecard
Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach
Producers: Wes Anderson, Barry Mendel, Scott Rudin
Executive Producer: Rudd Simmons
Casting Director: Douglas Aibel
Production Start Date: Late August 2003
Shooting Locations: Italy
American Distributor: Buena Vista

[AllSussedOut]

BAPS (er, BUMP), courtesy of Knowles:

Cast begins to come together for Wes Anderson's latest stab at genius... THE LIFE AQUATIC!

Hey folks, Harry here... Hollywood Reporter has begun announcing more cast members to join aboard Wes Anderson's latest project, THE LIFE AQUATIC. Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Peter Stormare, Wallace Wolodarsky and Bud Cort. The film is shooting in Rome this month and is about an oceanographer and his crew on various deep-sea excursions. Dafoe is set to play the engineer and brother to Bill Murray's character. While sounding vaguely wet, I'm sure this flick will fly. Wes can do no wrong.

[HomertheGreat]

wow sounds awesome

[AllSussedOut]

http://www.lifepress.com/archivio/Movies%202003/The%20Life%20Aquatic/Thumbnails/index-692.jpg

Follow this pic's link for some photos re: the making of, etc.

[lolpenis_taco]

Wes Anderson adds such character to his movies. This movie looks sweet.

[Tom]

boner all over again

[Jolly Bengali]

Wish Wilson were writing and not acting in it, but ah well, still will be fantastic. Wes's camera work + the sea = beauty

[dave]

hm. for a few seconds there i thought gil had brought back the "~ gil" then i noticed the date

[gil]

my producers have advised me not to.

[conor.]

owen not writing this? hmm i wonder how it will go with out him in the writing process. anyways looking foreward to this.

[cheex]

i'm gonna have to say that this is the best news all day.

[AllSussedOut]

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16590

[Kefka]

OMG I AM STOKED LIKE I'VE NEVER BEEN STOKED B4

[bmac]

bumpage

and no, i don't have any new news.

i just wanted to say i'm am superstoked for this movie after seeing two of wes anderson's flicks (still need to see rushmore). was i correct in reading that it's coming out this fall? seriously can't wait for this, already have it tabbed as my favorite movie of '04. luke wilson isn't in this one?

[AllSussedOut]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362270/

[Jolly Bengali]

After seeing Tennenbaums again, I honestly can't wait... despite not having seen either Rushmore or Bottle Rocket (making me the biggest Wes poseur ever)

[Sam]

this is the progression of what has happened to me since this thread was first made.

1. having seen tenenbaums but not knowing who wes anderson is, I read the thread and was sort of impressed.
2. found out who wes anderson is.
3. saw rushmore. boner.
4. saw bottle rocket. boner.
5. reread thread.
6. boner.
7. saw rushmore again.
8. read developments in thread. boner.
9. currently need a new pair of pants, a new computer desk, and new wallpaper.

(Beep)

[AllSussedOut]

Rushmore
Tenenbaums
Bottle Rocket

... like having to pick which son or daughter is your favorite...

[Tibor]

Still need to see all the titled Wes Anderson projects. But stoked, nonetheless.

[Tom]

Wes Anderson is awesome, loved all his films. Can't wait for this one, looks really great.

[matt]

chabon? stop-motion? oceanographers? {agreeing with gil and the lawn wrangler from about a page ago} yes, this will be the best film of 2004.

[AllSussedOut]

From the very wonderful www.michaelchabon.com "current efforts" page... haven't heard shit from him on the Wes front, unfortunately.

If you don't know Chabon, read everything he's ever written immediately. Please.


Upcoming Appearances

DATE EVENT WHERE PUBLIC? TIME
Feb 6, 2004 California Association of Teachers of English Conference San Diego, CA No N/A
Mar 27 The Virginia Quarterly and University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA Yes 8:00pm
May 12 Friends of the Central Library, Onondaga Central Library Syracuse, NY Yes TBA
May 13 Rochester Arts & Lectures Rochester, NY Yes TBA

My speaking engagements are booked through The Steven Barclay Agency.


A novella, "The Final Solution," is in the Summer 2003 issue of The Paris Review.

Work on the film version of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay seems to have stalled for the time being. The script, however, is finished.

I hope to learn very soon the fate of the words that I contributed to the script of next year's Spiderman 2.

In the meantime, I'm exploring the world of my new novel, Hotzeplotz. It's set in the Alaskan panhandle, in the present day, in the territory that was opened to the Jewish refugees of Europe, after Congress passed the King-Havenner Bill of 1940. The precarious balancing act of this Yiddish-speaking nation-within-a-nation is imperiled by the discovery of a mysterious skull in a construction site, and the novel unfolds as its protagonist, a homicide detective named Meyer Landsman, investigates. "Hotzeplotz" is the name of a real town in the Ukraine or someplace, but it's used in the Yiddish expression "from here to Hotzeplotz," meaning more or less the back of nowhere, Podunk, Iowa, the ends of the earth.

[matt]

what did you hear about originally, a script collaboration? also, without stealing this thread away from anderson, the kavalier and clay movie is gonna be great.

[AllSussedOut]

I believe that it was always going to be an anderson script, primarily, but that Chabon was to have some sort of input.

As I got that info from the original page on the official WA website, it had to have had some merit. But, given all of the things that were/are on Chabon's plate, it seems entirely plausible that he had to bow out... though that still might bode well for a collaboration in the future.

The WA page is down right now; the boards are still up. Doing a search for "Chabon" turned up nothing on them, so... I wouldn't hold your breath.

[AllSussedOut]

bump

check out the glowing, spoilerific reviews at AICN, if you dare:


http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=17748

[Tibor]

December 25th? But I need this now! Like a junkie needs his junk, I do!

[Eddie]

FIRST TRAILER! FIRST TRAILER! FIRST TRAILER!
http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/thelifeaquaticwithstevezissou.html

Good God, I can't believe we still have to wait 'til December to see this thing. It looks amazing.

And it's official: there's CGI fish in a Wes Anderson movie.

[gravymaster]

Wow, that looks hilarious! Can't wait.

[My Little Needle]

What the fuck is with the CGI?

Otherwise, hott

[scotty]

it's not cgi, it's claymation by the dude who made the nightmare before christmas.

[Eddie]

hey, he's right: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0783139/ cool

Also, did anyone else notice that Zissou calls one of his teammates "Wolodarsky"? In reference to Wes Anderson's pal and former Simpsons writer, Wally Wolodarsky?

[Tom]

Wow, looks to be as awesome as Anderson's other films if not more so. Can't wait, interest rekindled.

[Mr. Plow]

It's only a 4 month wait. After hearing about the movie over a year and 8 months ago, just watching the trailer made that wait for a first glimpse at it worth it to me.

[gil]

love the use of "ceremony". this looks absolutely pimp, even if it seems to rehash a theme or two.

this man knows his way around a soundtrack. every one he's done is worth owning, especially bottle rocket.

[AllSussedOut]

wheeeeeeeeee!!!!

[Rowdy]

Just ruined my chair. Not sure how I missed this thread, but I'll definitely be first in line for the next Anderson/Wilson production.

EDIT: Wuzzuh? Owen Wilson isn't cowriting this one? Slightly less stoked.....only ejaculating at 98% capacity. :uhh:

[Sam]

fuckfuckfuck fuck fuck fufufuckfuckfuckfuck

holy shit

stizzoked

(Beep)

[gil]

PRESS SCREENING WEDNESDAY AT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mr. broom]

For the few remaining unclued: :hot trailer action (http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2004/IJKLM/Life-Aquatic/trailer-page.html):

[conor.]

super stoked for wes' new flick. i still wish wilson had cowrote due the to fact that they are literal genius when put together.

[AllSussedOut]

bowie
bowie
devo
bowie

murray dancing

desk needs a squeegee

[America: Fuck Yea!]

got tickets for the pre-release screening on Wed... can't wait.

[Rowdy]

got tickets for the pre-release screening on Wed... can't wait.

I be going tomorrow as well. Let's hope for conflicting opinions. :mexican:

[gil]

couldn't get away from work so I missed out. will have to catch the evening screening on the 15th.

looking forward to y'alls reviews.

[Eddie]

Des Moines's top indie theater has just announced everything they're getting for the rest of the month and...no Life Aquatic. Yikes.

[Rowdy]

Des Moines's top indie theater has just announced everything they're getting for the rest of the month and...no Life Aquatic. Yikes.

But it's got a nationwide release sometime around Christmas, I believe.....so you'll be able to catch it at your closest Signature Theatres franchise, I'm sure.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I know it's got a national release date, but I still haven't found out exactly how wide it's gonna be...I know I'll still be able to see it, I just wish I could see it at our best art theater (http://www.fleurcinema.com). There's a total of three indie theaters I frequent, plus we have one of those ridiculously gigantic Century Theatre megaplexes here, which actually makes room each week for at least two art flicks.

[caribou]

My girlfriend lives in a small New Hampshire town in which the old town hall has been converted into a small two-screen movie theatre (http://www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com/) . One room -- the bigger one, with a real red curtain and everything -- used to host vaudeville acts; current blockbusters and the like are usually shown in there. The second room is really small, and it used to be the changing room for the vaudeville performers; indie flicks are shown in there (such as Garden State a few months ago [Sideways is playing right now]). I'm sure they'll have The Life Aquatic soon...

[Rowdy]

My two cents, watch out for any spoilers...:

It's a good film. Possibly even a great one, but it would take a second viewing to figure out if that was the case. No matter what, I was constantly going to be thinking of Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums while I watched, and it's really hard to live up to those two films. This film is really centered around Bill Murray entirely. While the cast is A list, they aren't given nearly as much to do as the folks in the previous film from Wes. It's kind of like Rushmore in that there's Bill Murray and a younger actor being the center of the film......in fact, it's very similar in that the two characters both like the same girl once again. Owen Wilson is no Jason Schwartzman...in fact, his character is rather boring to say the least....he's the straight man to Murray, basically. Jeff Goldblum is given nothing to do in the slightest.....the film really could use more of him.....that's the movie's biggest problem in that a lot of the characters are supposed to hold a great deal of emotional weight, but we are barely even introduced to them before things begin to occur....same with Anjelica Huston's character. It's a Bill Murray vehicle and everyone else is along for the ride with the possible exception of Willem Dafoe as Klaus, who really steals the show whenever he is on camera. I'd say the movie is somewhat funny, but it won't have you on the floor laughing throughout. It's more dramatic in that it's all about Murray's down-and-out-has-been character and what he's going through rather than having a joke every minute. Perhaps it could even get a Best Picture nom? There's still a lot of inspired zaniness that I won't give away, but it's far from being the funniest film of the year. I had a lot of thoughts to make about the film, but I seem to have forgotten them on the way back home. I guess all I could say is that it's got the large ensemble of Tenenbaums, it's driven by two male leads like Rushmore, and it's about as funny as Bottle Rocket....the film didn't need a ton of laughs to keep you involved though as Murray is strong throughout and you really feel for him in the emotional last few scenes. Not much else I can say....you'll all be seeing it anyway, and if you enjoyed Anderson's other films, you (like me) are programmed to enjoy the latest one.

4/5

1. The Royal Tenenbaums
2. Rushmore
3. The Life Aquatic
4. Bottle Rocket

I'm sorry the review was so Goddamnshitty.....I'm drawing a blank right now.....if you have any questions, you could ask and then I can answer, I guess. And note that Owen Wilson didn't cowrite this one, but I think Wes Anderson plays a much larger part in making the films the way he wants to as you can't really tell that someone different was helping him write it this time around....

[nathaniel]

bottle rocket is #1 but its a pretty tight race. best soundtrack yet could push it to contention

[America: Fuck Yea!]

FUCK YEAH!!!!

I loved it. Tennanbaums and Rushmore took at least 3 viewings for me to fall in love with, but I liked this one immediatly. and I know there is so much that I missed that it will be even better the second time around. The only complaint is that it might have been about 15 minutes too long, but it's really my only complaint. I laughed straight through this film and Murray is just amazing. But the real star of this movie is Willem Dafoe. I also wonder if Anderson will change anything with it before it is officially released? Wes Anderson is gaining so much on my love list and now I want to go purchase the other 3 films and watch them all a few times more.

To be fair, the girl I went with is a hardcore Anderson fan and she thought it was "OK"... her main complaint was that the plot wasn't very coherent, but I strongly disagree... while it does in fact meander, it stays focused.

that's the movie's biggest problem in that a lot of the characters are supposed to hold a great deal of emotional weight, but we are barely even introduced to them before things begin to occur....same with Anjelica Huston's character. It's a Bill Murray vehicle and everyone else is along for the ride

Very fair critisism. It does have an amazing supporting cast that goes unused... and honestly, I found Wilson more annoying than anything. Murray is really what holds this film together.

seriously: 8.5/10

PS: Disney sucks my ass. I have never been around such disagreeable human beings that put money and their product ahead of the general welfare of the public.

PPS: My Alfred Hitchcock professor told me his son's roommate in college was the co-writer of this film.

[Rowdy]

Heh, was your screening free at all? Mine had a corporate sponsor so it was sick for the fact that it was free...until people started cheering on Nokia..... the theater was filled to the brim with some three hundred people or so. ...
As for the plot, it's definitely coherent and the story is always centered on Murray and Wilson's relationship, really. I see that in some earlier posts people mentioned the CGI in the film.....it's actually interesting to note that the CGI actually furthers the storyline....it comes in pivotal moments in the film and it's really subtle as to what it's trying to get across....you can come away with your own definitions for those scenes, although the one with the fighting crabs was pretty apparent to everyone. The movie uses cardboardesque sort of backgrounds and such for the undersea scenes, but instead of looking tacky it adds a sense of wonder to the film....there's a lot of fantastic cinematography in this film...lotsa eye candy.

[America: Fuck Yea!]

I see that in some earlier posts people mentioned the CGI in the film.....it's actually interesting to note that the CGI actually furthers the storyline....it comes in pivotal moments in the film and it's really subtle as to what it's trying to get across....you can come away with your own definitions for those scenes, although the one with the fighting crabs was pretty apparent to everyone. The movie uses cardboardesque sort of backgrounds and such for the undersea scenes, but instead of looking tacky it adds a sense of wonder to the film....there's a lot of fantastic cinematography in this film...lotsa eye candy.


yeah, mine was free.

the cgi is not a problem and it is not "Star Wars", "Matrix", cgi... it was going for fantasy and accomplishes it. It does add a feeling of fantasy and it really does propel the movie...Those scenes will bring a smile to your face regardless of who you are...

[Moose of Doom!]

For the last time people: THERE IS NO CGI IN THIS MOVIE.

It's stop-motion animation.

[America: Fuck Yea!]

that explains a lot actually, b/c I never thought for a second that Anderson was "trying" to make those things look real. Truly refreshing. thanks moose.

[gravymaster]

Was the CGI on a "Big Fish" level?

[Rowdy]

Was the CGI on a "Big Fish" level?

Well, it wasn't CGI....but yeah, the special effects in the film are really Big Fishesque.....very fantastical, and like in Big Fish, there's at least one scene that will stick with you for the rest of your life due to its sheer beauty.

[gil]

I don't know if it's the law of diminishing returns or if anderson is actually faltering four films into his career, but life aquatic is missing something significant that keeps it from being a worthy entry in anderson's quirky canon. all the obligatory elements are there--the idiosyncratic characters, the dry humor, the fondness for square shots, the visual flair--but sadly, the characters are written without any real depth or empathy. consequently, I wound up caring very little about the mission or the outcome, but was entertained by these emotionally-damaged stick puppets sparring and joking onscreen. performances are passable all around, but compare murray's subtle acting in rushmore to this effort and you see a marked decline. the only character with any real resonance is klaus, and he's underutilized as a sympathetic force.

I don't want to use the phrase "treading water", but it does come to mind, yet the magical reality of jaguar sharks and arctic nighlights combined with gunfire and topless scriptgirls make for a movie somewhat (but not enough) unlike anderson's other work. the whole package sadly falls short of greatness.

but goddamn those portuguese bowie covers rock my socks.

B

[Eddie]

maybe it's this Noah Baumbach guy who's keeping this film from getting the same high marks that Rushmore and Tenenbaums got...

[scotty]

i doubt it. anderson admitted from the start that it wasn't as ambitious as rushmore. this is making me unstoked but at least his animated version of the fantastic mr. fox will be cool.

[Sam]

i bet it was that baumbach motherfucker

(Beep)

[Interslice]

so spanglish is better than the life aquatic?

this can't be right.

[gil]

maybe expectations came too much into play with the grading, and life aquatic is a more interesting and innovative film, but as far as characters and overall execution are concerned, yes, spanglish is superior.

[scotty]

baumbach was really just there to make it funnier, i think. i'd blame wes for not putting enough stock in the characters. the bigger the cast, the less focused the story.

[Eddie]

just got back from seeing this, and I agree with gil 100%, but probably enjoyed it overall a little bit more.

the only thing missing from this film is truly memorable characters. I just didn't feel as emotionally satisfied as a viewer as I was after Rushmore and Tenenbaums. BUT...

the visual style is absolutely incredible. It's still got the usual Anderson flourishes, as gil mentioned, but I also give props to Anderson for filming on location, using live animals, using the animation, explosions, a tiny bit of action...he definitely pushed himself a little bit more on this one.

and the humor is still there...it's definitely a funny flick.

so basically, if it wasn't for my lack of total interest in the various characters, this would be absolutely excellent. maybe Anderson got so ambitious with his visual ideas, that he didn't put enough time into fleshing out his characters and story entirely.

but even so, this film is quite good and a decent addition to Anderson's resume. I'd probably say a B+.

Tenenbaums > Rushmore > Bottle > Aquatic

[Jolly Bengali]

Ehhhh... I came in with really low expectations, and it sort of performed above them. But honestly, this movie's a mess in a lot of places, reminds me of the third act of Tennenbaums but without the solid first two/thirds to carry it all the way through. Laughs are genuine but rare, visuals are amazing but the ship layout is sort of contrived, etc. - there's nothing you can unqualifyingly, completely wholeheartedly love in the film (except the jaguar shark scene and the ending shot).

B+ or 8.6.

[Sam]

it "sort of performed above your really low expectations" and it was "a mess in a lot of places" but it's an 8.6?

(Beep)

[Mr. Plow]

I saw it last night and I came in with high expectations. The previews looked great, and I was waiting for this thing for 3 years. Dissapointed? A little. It's a great looking film because it is done by Wes and the effects are amazing as well. I just didn't get into it like I did with Wes's previous 3 films. The story really wasn't there, nor did I care for it to begin with. The character's, minus Klaus, needed more time to develop into great Wes Anderson character's. The movie still brings the laughs, but it's missing the overall charm that Rushmore and Royal Tenenbaums obtain. The look and shots are there, as is the wonderful music. The story about revenge of killing the shark and the hijacking by the Filipino pirates wasn't strongly put together, which I think hurt the film along with the so-so characters. I'll remember the Bowie songs, Klaus and the encounter with the Jaguar shark, because those are the moments you can't forget. I'll never forget Rushmore and Royal Tenenbaums as films, so I'll forget some of the Life Aquatic.

B

Tenenbaums (Barely)>Rushmore>Bottle Rocket>Life Aquatic

[Jolly Bengali]

it "sort of performed above your really low expectations" and it was "a mess in a lot of places" but it's an 8.6?

(Beep)

It's a Wes Anderson film, and it's intermittently brilliant. "Low" expectations were a B-/B, given that this is Wes. And it was a mess in a lot of places, but, like I said, it's also brilliant at other points. Brilliant moments/shots lifts it. And a movie can be a mess (Apocalypse Now) and still be good or great.

[bmac]

gil pretty much hit the nail on the head as far as my thoughts are concerned. though i still enjoyed it very much and wouldn't hesitate to watch it again. B+.

[Sam]

when i watch wes anderson movies, i start off being hooked by all the wonderful peripheral things that surround these little worlds he makes, and from there find myself plugged right in to the emotional core and conflict being built. it usually comes about subtly, with logical point a leading to logical point b with twists and turns along the way. i content myself (or put myself in a state of euphoria) by eventually following the plot, with these little things as heapings of gravy

the life aquatic had all those little extra things (the gunfights, as gil said, the bowie covers, the animation, kickass soundtrack, letters from ned to steve and from steve to ned, the cutaway shots of the ship with all it's inner workings, the interns). all the extra little stuff going on in the background was great, but

when i went to actually get involved in the characters, it didn't quite gel. i know what alot of what i'm saying has been said already, but...there was way too much going on. rushmore's conflict was laserbeam-focused on "who was going to get the girl", to kickass ends. tenenbaums' had alot of aspects to it, but they all stemmed from logical problems the family had years ago. the life aquatic feels like...all this random shit is being thrown at zissou, out of nowhere.

he's having trouble with his wife, fine. his best friend has just died ASWELL, okay...his estranged son has just shown up and is trying to get into steve's life, uhhh...he has money troubles oh and this random pregnant chick works herself into the mix aswell. not to mention the motherfuckin pirates. you see what i mean?

maybe on second viewing i can see it as...the conceit of this movie's premise IS that he has to deal with all this shit at once out of nowhere, but on first viewing it felt a little off.

i see that wes was really going for a departure in the movie, trying to take it way big (pirates, explosions, the awesome gunfights, stealing from the underwater lab) and in that respect i think he really succeeded. the idea of a really badass oceanographer is a good one, and i think he rolled with it well

for now, the menagerie of kickass, un-rehashed anderson elements is good enough for me.

i still think it was that baumbach motherfucker

EDIT: call me a fuck, but 15 minutes after this post the more i think about the movie, the more i remember some great moments from it. pele playing the guitar when the pirates slowly come up from behind, the two weird guys who just run into the hot tub, when eleanor says "zissou shoots blanks", the really weird hennessey crew-member bringing goldblum the message, the bond company stooge's message, zissou freaking out with the gun, "steve, are you rescuing me? fold. BANG", when he pulls the gun on cate blanchett during the first interview, "klaus was a bus driver"

double edit: now that i think about it, there were so many memorable things. maybe what i was bitching about with regards to character development was just, the lack of real introduction to alot of things that were going on (an editing thing) and owen wilson's accent. man

(Beep)

[Jolly Bengali]

Yeah Wilson's character was the biggest weakness. And the mustache. The ending really helps the film a lot, also, I think... without the jaguar shark scene or the last bit in the theatre being done so well, I would have forgiven a lot less, but it really ties it all together well.

[caribou]

My new favorite movie scene of all time is the raid on Ping Island. That was stunning on two levels: the visuals of a group of ragtag oceanographers storming a monsoon-devestated island (God, the shot of them running past the pool alone), and Mark Mothersbaugh's musical accompaniment.

I didn't have as big a problem with character development as others seemed to, but that's probably because I was so damn excited to be watching it. Definitely need a second viewing...

[conor.]

i loved it one of the best movies out in years, i was expecting more from it aswell.

sam is completely right, over time you earn a great respect lookin back on the film, it is a work of art. i didnt like the begining much really. I simply loved the classic anderson style ending (slow motion, mothersburgh music playing and then cut to credits)

so many great quotes:

"I havent decided exactly what i'll use to kill the shark yet, perhaps dynamite"

[That Jerk]

I loved it, and the action scenes were a total suprise. When they first did the one where Bill just turnes into Joe Kickass, i went along laughing thinking it was a dream the whole time. It was shot so over the top (with the kunk fu styled zooms and random explosions) but delivered so poorly. I mean Bill was just out in the open with no form shooting... When it all ended and i realized this was really happening in the movie i had no idea what to think. Then the raid on the island made it clear what kind of strange world this film takes place in, where Steve's cheesy, semi-staged, poorly delivered documentaires are very accurate portrayals of their adventures. The obviously fake special effects also gave the film a fun camp element i had no idea i would be sitting down for.

As far as the characters go, Owen Wilson for once did NOT piss me off, but there wasn't much interesting about him. And i felt his fling with the reporter (a character who i loved) was tacked on. It's Bill's show and he made everyone look great, while being hilarious as usual. I thought his character and Angelica's were set up great at the film's showing, showing his relationships with women (like the black woman he sees there). I felt that all the problems came from themselves, which i liked, i really can't stand Tennenbaumns and all that dysfunctional family hatred. Just can't relate to it. These characters had personal problems and took them out on eachother, not just hated eachother for who the other person was or what they did, etc... After Tennenbaumns i started to resent Wes, and elite "i have better tastes than you, and heres why..." Anderson fans. But this one made me a fan again. Maybe next film he can back off the theater and upper class stuff...
4/5

[Eddie]

ASO and gilmore's thoughts are mysteriously absent from this thread...

[Sarcastic Guy II]

What a fantastic movie. 5/5

[StrideR]

From watching Royal Tenenbaums and this movie, I love Wes Anderson's work- the quietness of the characters, the hilarious absurdity of the violence contained within, and the more tragi-emotional scenes (the suicide attempt in Tenenbaums and the helicopter crash in Aquatic). I also appreciate the retro-feel accentuated the use of primary colors in a beige background.

It's a movie that doesn't go over the top in its comedy, but leaves you with a rich collection of various memories.

9/10

[Jolly Bengali]

My only complaint, ever, in a technical aspect of his films - the quick-cutting thing he does in the suicide attempt, the helicopter crash, and I believe at one other point in Life Aquatic, with the quick flash of relevant images to the moment in terms of the character. It's just... awkward, I dunno. Amateurish. It works in a way, but it also makes me uncomfortable. Anyone else know what I mean or have any thoughts on it?

[Eddie]

the quick-cutting thing he does in the suicide attempt
those cuts when Richie is cutting his hair, shaving, etc.? I love that stuff. If it makes you uncomfortable it's probably a good thing. Since it's...ya know, a suicide attempt.

also, according to DVD Aficionado Life Aquatic is going to be released through Criterion...maybe they'll coincide its release with Bottle Rocket as well, maybe? Fingers crossed...

[StrideR]

Glocks, Zissou going apeshit, "I was thinking we could adopt him", Mark Mothersbaugh's Island rescue theme, Bull-dyke, the Hennessy crew...

hilarious.

[Jolly Bengali]

those cuts when Richie is cutting his hair, shaving, etc.? I love that stuff. If it makes you uncomfortable it's probably a good thing. Since it's...ya know, a suicide attempt.

also, according to DVD Aficionado Life Aquatic is going to be released through Criterion...maybe they'll coincide its release with Bottle Rocket as well, maybe? Fingers crossed...

No, no. I don't mean "uncomfortable" in the sense of him doing an excellent job of making it a difficult scene. He does do an excellent job of making those scenes difficult and painful, and of making them suitably awkward, since viewing a suicide is pretty much the ultimate in audience voyeurism and shouldn't feel entirely comfortable.

What makes me uncomfortable is how obvious, brazen, and cheap it feels. It makes me uncomfortable in the sense that it immediately knocks me out of the movie. It's just such a noticeable and almost amateur device that it bothers me when it's bookended by such amazingly subtle technical brilliance.

[Eddie]

y'know, I just thought of something: in that scene, the cuts are also probably done just so we don't have to see Richie shaving his ENTIRE head and beard, because obviously that would take up a lot of screen time.

anyways, the reason I bumped the thread:

http://www.dvdtimes.org/content.php?contentid=56218

DVD out May 10: in both one-disc and two-disc editions from Criterion

I know this movie was a little disappointing, but damn, I can't wait to pick this up.

[America: Fuck Yea!]

I picked up the single disc edition for $15 at Circuit City... I have to say, that the more I watch this movie, the better it gets.

I suggest watching it again. You pick up a lot more.

[Mr. Plow]

I picked up the 2-Disc Edition at Wal-Mart for $21. It's a great movie and the extras are pretty interesting too. Lots of great info on the score and the design of the film.

[My Little Needle]

never got to see it for many reasons, though I'm a big Anderson fan. blind buy it?

[Eddie]

for collecting's sake, it's a must-buy. Your Anderson collection just won't be complete without it.

I'm fairly confident you'll find at least something to appreciate in it, despite its flaws. It may not be his best flick, but it's not like it's White Chicks or something. You gotta see it at least once.

I picked up the 2-Disc Edition at Wal-Mart for $21.
I got mine at Best Buy for twenty-five. I even went by Suncoast after I bought it, and even their's was cheaper than Best Buy's. Damn.

Haven't touched it yet, though, except looking over the packaging, which is great, as always. I have a feeling I'm going to appreciate the film more on the second viewing.

[gil]

I hear good things about some cut henry selick scenes.

gonna buy it, even if disappointing.

[nathaniel]

anyone else waiting for the cutesy child drawn cover edition?

[Wonderboy]

That's the special 2-disc edition, it has a regular cover that is slipped on, but underneath you get the drawn one.

[nathaniel]

oh fuck yes

[Samuel L Bronkowitz]

I'm not what you'd call an Anderson nutswinger (loved Bottle Rocket, "ehh" on Rushmore, haven't seen Tennenbaums), but the Life Aquatic promos intrigued me enough to pick up the 2-DVD set last night. My initial reaction after first viewing: the less I concern myself with the "big picture", the better...the "little things" are what ultimately roped me in. I'll probably fire this up again sometime today to get a better handle of things, but as of now it was definitely worthy of a "B" rating...

[America: Fuck Yea!]

bump

anyone revisited this film?

While I think the film drags as a whole in the middle, each individual scene is amazing... even sort of fellini-esque.

quickly becoming one of my favorite comedies...

Hell, Lebowski took 3 views for me to fall in love with it.

[kevin]

i saw it once and it bored me. i'll watch it again as soon as i get the chance. i'm confident it will be much better the second time after reading the rest of this thread.

[gravymaster]

bump

anyone revisited this film?

While I think the film drags as a whole in the middle, each individual scene is amazing... even sort of fellini-esque.

quickly becoming one of my favorite comedies...

Hell, Lebowski took 3 views for me to fall in love with it.
It dragged wayyyyyyy too much for me to fall in love with it. Had its funny moments, but give me Rushmore ANY DAY over it.

[Jolly Bengali]

On rewatch I certainly appreciated things more... but when it comes right down to it, Owen Wilson's character is the problem with the film, and there's very little that changes that. Murray, Huston, Blanchett, Goldblum, etc. are all fine in their roles and the Anderson flourishes are fun, but Wilson's character is irritating and his scenes are mostly dead. A distant 3rd on Rushmore, even on revisit; still cherish it because it's Anderson, though.