Despite the buzz you may have heard surrounding the hush hush screenings of P.T. Anderson's There Will Be Blood it was not sadly not part of the general press offerings since it’s not in the festival. So I must wait. There Will Be Tears… from me.
So let’s talk about the other writing/directing Anderson. Wes.
The Darjeeling Limited, the story of three brothers on a spiritual journey through India, opened the New York Film Festival last night. It is unmistakably a Wes Anderson picture. The Wes elements are out in full force: obsessively designed sets, amusing rectangular compositions, eclectic song scores, privileged lost boys, bright colors and theatrical costuming, Angelica Huston and Bill Murray. The question is really whether or not those elements, pleasing to a one, add up to great movie. I’m not sure they do. Though I remain completely enamored of The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) there’s beginning to be a distinct whiff of branding to this auteur’s work. His movies are always lovely and still fun but they don’t smell as fresh.
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6 comments:
I've watched "Darjeeling" two days ago at the Rio Film Festival and it's really disapointing for Anderson's fans. Amusing, but sadly unfocused. The cute five or six minutes of "Hotel Chevalier" save the program.
P.S.: I've already watchen "I'm not there", Nath. Believe the Venice hype.
If even Wes Anderson enthusiasts are disappointed...it's a pretty safe bet I won't be that enchanted, eh?
Anderson just needs to explore new things. Every movie he has made is about the relationship between men (father/son, kid/mentor, brothers, etc) and that (in my eyes) is what's really getting old. I can deal with the branded visuals.
Nathaniel T
i feel bad saying "disappointment" --again his movies are pleasureable. I love his compositional sense, they're always funny... i just want to be surprised is all.
and i'm tired of Angelica Huston only getting tiny roles. He gives her such great characters and she plays them expertly but then they remain way way way on the sidelines. wouldn't it be nice to see a movie ABOUT her character. That'd force him into new places as an artist.
Having gone through years and years of a love-hate relationship with my brother I was actually pleasantly surprised by The Darjeeling Limited and I also very much enjoyed its visual delights. It was also great to see Adrian Brody doing some comedy--he really has such an expressive face that was made for the cinema.
Ditto rural juror's comment. I loved "Rushmore," but Anderson started to lose me with "Tenenbaums." There was something airless about its whimsy. And from everything I've read of this and "Zissou" (which I didn't see) it looks like Wes is having a hard time getting out of Wes Andersonworld.
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