The Travails of the Astounding!

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou was definitely the Best Film of 2004 (that I saw).
Once again, Anderson crafts a tale so rich and deeply impassioned that it was impossible for me to pull my eyes away. His characters feel as if theyve sprung from the pages of a novel, their maturity and intelligence challenges each other as well as the audience. This is not your typical Hollywood dreck. Anderson doesn't ask that we simply love or hate a character, he fills his film with dozens of reasons for either argument, and leaves the decision to you. The prime example for this is the woebegone character of Steve Zissou played by Bill Murray, who gives a performance that is so dispirited and self-concious that you think he had just stepped off the set of Lost in Translation and started shooting this in the same afternoon. Not to say, that this performance too closely mirrors that in Copola's indie darling, but it seems that these two directors are able to illicit moving and honest performances from an actor who has made his bread and butter playing unbelievably zany caricatures. While Steve Zissou is publicly known an adventurer/filmmaker he's also a fading star coping with the approach of his twilight years, while resolving the disconnect that exists between the heroic character that is pinned on dozens of cub scouts bedroom walls and his true-self. In fact, even more than the plot of the reunited father and son (superbly and subtly played by Owen Wilson), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is about accepting some roles when you must, and discarding others when their time has come. It's a marvelous tale of majestic triumph, and staggering loss. Easily, Andersons most mature to date. Do i even need to get into the visuals? It's a Wes Anderson film, that means frames that are JAM-PACKED with information, long shots that are VERY complex, and hilarious montages with a perfect music accompaniment. Of particular note are the underwater scenes which were shot in saturated color with clay animation sea-life. The combination, makes the ocean feel as magical for me as it did in Finding Nemo. The colors dear friends, the colors!!! Also, not to be missed are Seu Jorge's Portuguese adaptations of David Bowie classics. All in all, since it's too late to catch this one in a theater, scurry to your local DVD purveyor and rent this masterpiece today!
4.5/5 STARS
(Half a star taken for slight pacing issues that are ultimately more than forgivable).




While I'm playing the critic here, I listened to Coldplays latest album. You know, except for a few really good songs, as a whole I'm really unimpressed by this band. I just dont see it. They feel a bit boring and uninspired.

Life On Mars? from the album "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou Soundtrack" by Seu Jorge