Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Wes Anderson movies are always entertaining. I've loved them all - but I believe that "Life Aquatic" is his best film to date. Bill Murray has starred in multiple Anderson films and seems to have found his niche. His humor has a subtlety that needs to be watched multiple times to truly be appreciated. “The Life Aquatic” has a great ensemble cast – Willem Dafoe, Angelica Huston, Jeff Goldblum (sexy!), Michael Gambon, Owen Wilson (also his best in Anderson films), Cate Blanchett and the cult classic actor himself, Bud Cort.

Mr. Anderson also has a great sense of music – the entire score of this film centers around David Bowie songs. The music is actually woven into the plot due to the fabulous performance of Seu Jorge who performs the songs in Portuguese.

I’m not one to give away too many plot details (I hate spoilers), but I will say that this story does have a touching side amidst all of the action adventure and humor. It is ultimately about a man that has lost his way over the course of time but realizes the importance of family. Family grounds you and gives you strength – even if it is not a conventional family.

End.