- The Royal Tenenbaums
The Grand Budapest Hotel, the newest film by the divisive Wes Anderson, is now playing citywide after premiering in New York and LA last week. J.R. Jones has a review of the film in this week’s paper, in which he writes “over the years Anderson’s cult following has built steadily, though his filmography has had its ups and downs . . . with each new feature his eccentric visual style becomes more pronounced even as his characters seem flatter and more cartoonish. Anderson’s movies can be wonderfully funny and fun to look at, but they often give me the feeling that I’m watching a grown man play with dolls.” I agree with this statement, but unlike Jones, I don’t necessarily see it as a negative. If anything, the further Anderson moves toward a heightened, more cartoonish space, the more interesting his films become. As elaborate and meticulously constructed as The Grand Budapest Hotel is (the film, with its layered narrative structure, shifting aspect ratios, and whimsical production design, feels like the cinematic equivalent of a matryoshka doll), it’s never soulless. In other words, Anderson isn’t sacrificing emotion for the sake of style—emotion exists within the style (as Jones notes, “Anderson is one of the few directors working today who can actually get laughs with a camera”) and the characters become an extension of this aesthetic.
- Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) In one way or another, each of Anderson’s films can be described as a sort of live-action cartoon—with their vivid colors, quirky characterizations, eccentric gestures, and liberal experimentation with physical space—all of which explain why this animated feature is in direct step with his live-action work. The film is notable for the way it permits Anderson to truly unfurl his whimsical inclinations without fear of coming off as “unrealistic,” plus the stop-motion animation and character design are truly remarkable.
