LQ wrote:I respect mfunk's criticisms of it being a little too stuffed with actors, some of the supporting characters do come off as underdeveloped, but I'm completely absorbed in the kids so that didn't bother me.
Criticizing the movie for over-abundance is something I'd only come up with if pressed. Sure, it's true, but it's hard to be bothered that the movie gives us too much considering that most movies don't give us enough.
I found the criticisms somewhere above that the movie was too insular, or too unconnected with "other universes" (whatever they are), puzzling. Is there anything absent from this movie that you wouldn't find similarly absent from any movie that takes place entirely in and around a small community? The only difference is that Anderson imbues that town with his sensibility. He also never cheaps out by making the emotional beats simplistic. The 'first kiss' is admirably unsentimental; it precisely captures two kids' attempt to act grown up.
I'm totally list projecting this. Counting all the lists posted so far where seven films were ranked (with 7 points for a 1st place ranking, 6 for 2nd, etc.), here is the overall ranking:
1. Rushmore (155)
2. The Royal Tenenbaums (154)
3. Moonrise Kingdom (153)
4. The Life Aquatic (94)
= Fantastic Mr. Fox (94)
6. Bottle Rocket (68)
7. The Darjeeling Limited (66)
If more people post rankings, I'll update this.
Last edited by swo17 on Mon Nov 04, 2013 5:44 pm, edited 14 times in total.
LQ wrote:I respect mfunk's criticisms of it being a little too stuffed with actors, some of the supporting characters do come off as underdeveloped, but I'm completely absorbed in the kids so that didn't bother me.
Criticizing the movie for over-abundance is something I'd only come up with if pressed. Sure, it's true, but it's hard to be bothered that the movie gives us too much considering that most movies don't give us enough.
Like I said, I really, really like Moonrise Kingdom, and I was indeed pressed.
swo17 wrote:I'm totally list projecting this. Counting all the lists posted so far where seven films were ranked (with 7 points for a 1st place ranking, 6 for 2nd, etc.), here is the overall ranking:
1. Rushmore (81)
2. The Royal Tenenbaums (76)
3. Moonrise Kingdom (73)
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox (53)
5. The Life Aquatic (45)
6. Bottle Rocket (33)
7. The Darjeeling Limited (31)
If more people post rankings, I'll update this.
Well shit if you're going to make it count.
1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
4. Bottle Rocket
5. Rushmore
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. The Darjeeling Limited
1) Rushmore
2) Moonrise Kingdom
3) The Royal Tenenbaums
4) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
5) Bottle Rocket
6) The Darjeeling Limited
7) The Fantastic Mr. Fox
1.) The Royal Tenenbaums
2.) Fantastic Mr. Fox
3.) Moonrise Kingdom
4.) The Darjeeling Limited
5.) Rushmore
6.) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
7.) Bottle Rocket
domino harvey wrote:So much joy and warmth coupled with a realization of cinematic possibilities produced one of the grandest portrayals of what childhood feels like...
I can now see how viewing the film from this perspective would heighten the experience significantly. It's likely that I wasn't prepared for the particular film that Moonrise Kingdom is when I entered the theatre, since most of his other films address the subject of childhood indirectly, through reflection, rather than immersing the viewer in what is essentially a Child's World. I'll definitely keep this in mind upon my second viewing.
1) The Royal Tenenbaums
2) Rushmore
(Slight drop)
3) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
4) Moonrise Kingdom
5) The Darjeeling Limited
6) The Fantastic Mr. Fox
(Another drop)
7) Bottle Rocket (1996)
8) Hotel Chevalier
9) Botle Rocket (1994)
Wasn't sure I was going to pick up the Matt Zoller Seitz book, but the lovely trailer quickly changed my mind, and also prompted me to finally order the Criterion BDs on Tenenbaums and Rushmore. Should be a very enjoyable marathon, re-watching all of these chronologically as I make my way through the book.
1. Rushmore
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. The Darjeeling Limited
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. Bottle Rocket
6. The Life Aquatic
7. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
I like all of these to varying degrees. And while Mr. Fox is my least-favorite, I still admired it. Actually, one of the best things Anderson has done are those Prada ads he co-directed with Roman Coppola that you can find online - they're beautiful & fun and Léa Seydoux is wonderful (be sure to watch them in order!):
edit: Prada edited all three ads into one video which can be viewed here
Last edited by Dylan on Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
Just out of curiosity, why did you place Darjeeling Limited so high? It seems to be consistantly ranking at or near the bottom of all the lists so far.
I ranked "Mr. Fox" last mostly because I don't have an emotional connection to it in the way I instantly do with other Anderson films. My favorite memory of seeing it in theatres was a little boy, maybe 8 years old, seated in front of me who kept whispering to his dad about all of the visual jokes he noticed. He had some great observations for a kid his age and his running commentary only heightened the experience.
Michael Kerpan wrote:Moonruise Kingdom. Hamster cage. ????
I was desperately trying to avoid the dollhouse comparison, which I find inexact and ungenerous. Hamster cage may be inexact too, but it does convey some of the problems I had with Moonrise Kingdom. The island in the film is a totally closed off world, with a set number of tracks and avenues the characters have access to.
I find this fascinating from someone who liked In Another Country so much, a film that keeps looping back on the same track over and over.
1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. Life Aquatic
3. Rushmore
4. Royal Tenenbaums
5. Bottle Rocket
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. Darjeeling Limited
I tend to rate the Wes Anderson film I saw most recently as the best, but that's only because I think they're all almost equally well-made and enjoyable. However, "Hotel Chevalier" would not be included in the pantheon since I wasn't very impressed by it as a stand-alone short.
1. Rushmore
2. Moonrise Kingdom
3. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
4. The Royal Tenenbaums
5. Fantastic Mr Fox
6. Bottle Rocket
7. The Darjeeling Limited
1. The Royal Tenenbaums
2. Fantastic Mr Fox
3. Rushmore
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. The Darjeeling Limited
6. Bottle Rocket
7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Let me unlurk to join "The Wes Anderson inpromptu list-project":
1. The Royal Tenenbaums
2. Moonrise Kingdom
3. Rushmore
4. The Darjeeling Limited
4. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. Bottle Rocket
