Wes Anderson
Yes, I have a favorite filmmaker, just as I have a favorite band (Arctic Monkeys) and a favorite writer (Kurt Vonnegut). I really enjoy the films Wes Anderson makes. I recently took a film class, and even though we didn’t talk about Wes Anderson at all, I got some insight into why I like his work so much. I always appreciated his use of color, but now I have a deeper understanding of how those choices might work within a larger context. So, I guess that initially, the visual aesthetic sucked me in, and then his quirky, brilliant dialogue sealed it.
I have decided to rank Anderson’s films based solely on my level of enjoyment. I recently finished watching them all again to give each film a more or less equal chance to end up at the top of the list.
Here we go:
9. Bottle Rocket
8. The Darjeeling Limited
7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
6. Rushmore
5. Isle of Dogs
4. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. Moonrise Kingdom
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
One thing I have learned is that the people who consider themselves true old school Anderson fans (those who have followed him from the beginning) will basically have my list reversed. It appears that they believe that Bottle Rocket might be the best film ever made. I find that very interesting. Even more curious are the Arctic Monkeys fans who believe that Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is the best thing the group has ever done. I have listened to that CD 300 or 400 times, and I am still ambivalent about it.
I find it fascinating that people who love Wes Anderson or Arctic Monkeys can disagree so drastically about the quality of the films or the music. As for me, if I find an author, a filmmaker, or a band interesting, I go along for the ride. I am always willing to engage with others who view the world through a different lens. It is their evolution, their growth through time, that I find most compelling.
As I was searching for a way to end this short post, I realized something, a fact that adds a little twist to my ranking of Anderson’s films. I came to his films late; I certainly wasn’t with him from the beginning. I believe that 2012s Moonrise Kingdom was the first film of his I watched. Not so for Arctic Monkeys; I was with them from the beginning. I instantly fell in love with their music when I listened to the samples of Whatever People Say I Am, I Am Not on the Amazon website in 2006. Of course, that is their best CD. Second on the list? Easy… 2007s Favourite Worst Nightmare. I don’t even have to think about it. It is just an observation, and not necessarily a very profound one, but isn’t that interesting? I believe that it is.
Excellent 🤘🤘