The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Posted on December 27, 2004 @ 10:00 pm
More than any other movie this year, I was looking forward to Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic, and I admit that I was dismayed to see critics giving the film mixed reviews. Nevertheless, I caught a showing this evening, and found it to be an absolute joy — a funny, yet poignant tale of an aging oceanographer in search of the shark that killed his best friend. Anderson brings the same playful, detail-oriented filmmaking style to The Life Aquatic that he showcased in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, and Bill Murray gives what I would say is easily one of the best performances of his career.
The Life Aquatic receives the official Apropos of Something seal of approval. Highly recommended. My updated top ten movies of 2004 follow after the jump.
10. The Incredibles
9. Anchorman
8. Spider-Man 2
7. Dodgeball
6. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
5. Garden State
4. Fahrenheit 9/11
3. I Heart Huckabees
2. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Pop Culture |
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Well, I agree with you about KBv2, although I rate it as #1 (only flick I saw in theatre this year).
But the new Murray flick just looks…lame. Can you explain?
I think he already has.
I thought “Lost in Translation” was supposed to be Bill Murray’s greatest performance? Well, actually I thought the film was terrible, but that’s what everyone else was saying. In fact, some of the stink from Lost in Translation still seems to be lingering around this movie….
Wow, what an enthusiastic review!
You know, if you go in expecting it to be good, chances are, it will be. All you can do is find a reviewer who has similar tastes, and hope for the best.
I’ll put this on my “must-see” list
Oh, thank goodness. Seeing as I loved Royal Tenenbaums, I don’t know if I could handle it if this movie sucked.
David: If you’ve seen Rushmore or The Royal Tenenbaums, you know how difficult it can be to describe the appeal of a Wes Anderson movie. There’s just a certain quirkiness in the way he tells a story. As for Bill Murray, I’m not usually a fan of his work (Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters are two exceptions; Lost in Translation looked so unbearable that I still haven’t seen it), but he does a great job portraying the arrogant-yet-increasingly-aware-of-his-flaws Steve Zissou.