...with Steve Zissou. Absolutely delightful! For those of you have been puzzling over my banner for the last few months will realise it's origin when you step into any Multiplex in Britain. Life Aquatic is Wes Anderson's wonderfully eccentric follow up to the utter genius that was 'The Royal Tennenbaums'...
Aquatic feels like Anderson's dream dessert; indulgent, playful and surprising. It has all his hallmarks of deadpan characterisation, inner journey, Father-son relationships, death, redemption and humour juxtaposed with brutal violence.
Funnier than Tennenbaums, Aquatic caused me to laugh out-loud, applaud (yes I am that person you hate to sit next to in the cinema) and be struck by the simplicity of it's message.
Hmmm if you don't want to know specifics don't read the following bullet points! I do not want to be accused of more plot spoilage!
Highlights for me included...
***The technicolour look of the Zissou world juxtaposed with the depression and termoil of it's main protagonists.
***Bowie's songs performed acoustic and in Portuguese.
***Stop motion animation of Zissou's fantastical creatures.
***Bill Murray's wonderfully understated performance. I am becomning quite a fan, a massive improvement from his Ghost Buster days.
***Anderson's perspective on death. He never shies away from tragedy, in fact it always seems to be part of the journey he brings his characters on.
***The journey from pride to humility.
***Owen Wilson - good in everything.
***Angelica Houston who lives to smoke and look nonchalant.
***The idea of what is success? When you've reached it what then? The pressure you create by living up to your own reputation.
***The final moment when we discover whether Zissou is a fraud or not in the dark sinister world at the bottom of the ocean. Quite unbelievable, yet magical and beautifully crafted.
***Zissou's final words when all is said and done... "So this is adventure", all the pain, death, struggle, self-realisation, failures, successes, reconcilliations, pulling together, honesty and eventually success.
That final line really struck me. Adventure - I guess I see me life as one long adventure but often only refer to the positive and challenging with that terminology. To Zissou adventure is all the pain and all the joy wrapped together in one journey.
The film wasn't perfect. The middle third lagged a little, it was at times too indulgent and Anderson didn't wrap it up with as much finesse as he did Tennenbaums. Those who aren't familiar with (or simply don't like) his style may not enjoy it but even with these faults Aquatic is charming. It's no Eternal Sunshine but I wouldn't be surprised if it finds it's way into my top ten of the year.