Wes Anderson, 2009
So let's get this out of the way: I love Wes Anderson. Also, back in the day, I had a big thing for alcoholic cider, so perhaps that biases me further.
But yes, I love him. After all, I am a white person, and, you may recall, his films are among the stuff we like. But gosh darn it, I love it all, the vaguely seventies aesthetic, the pretentious cool/music, the Salingeresque stories. But I understand he has a very particular style that appeals to a very specific set of people, the majority of whom are probably honkies.
But even if he weren't in my wheelhouse -- or should it be me in his? -- I think I would still at the very least greatly admire him. Because it's so much more than just a style, isn't it? He's created his own universe. And that requires passion, imagination, and meticulous, almost pathological attention to detail. Their styles are different, but Anderson is very much like Cocteau in that respect.
In college I had this fabulous professor, Lauren Berlant, and she said that "The Royal Tenenbaums is about cartoons. People who are cartoons and people who aren't cartoons." And I, being a thick undergraduate at the time, had to mull it over for a day before going "Damn, lady! You're a genius." Anyway, in light of this insightful remark, can't we say that animation is just a natural extension of his style?
And his style more than survives the transition to animation. There's still that vaguely '70s look, the clever use of music (here the deployment of "Street Fightin' Man" is notable), and the gorgeous use of color (we get a rich, autumnal palette). The attention to detail is here too; in the kitchen on the farm, next to the TV, is a book entitled Jungle Spices.
Speaking of style, I think Anderson is so known for his that he doesn't get credit for other stuff he's good at. Action (or perhaps motion) is one of them. (Think of Schwartzman and Murray popping wheelies to the tune of "Oh Yoko!" in Rushmore.) So he does great things with stop motion; watching our furry friends tunnel furiously is a delightful frenzy; the schoolyard game an elegantly choreographed ballet.
If you're a big star you have a very specific, strong persona that you're known for. And you tend to play the same kind of roles over and over. And that's fine; it's part of what's great about big stars. And Clooney is known for his roguish charm and his deadpan, dapper, unflappable cool. He's definitely got the roguish charm. But the animation frees him into new dimensions. He's wily (I know, like a fox, I should be ashamed of myself.) He's also nimble and spry. He's a gentleman farmer, something he'd never play in live action films, and the role suits him well. Meryl fits quite nicely into the archetypal Wes Anderson mommy role: you know, the one Angelica Huston usually plays.
Side note: I was talking about this movie with some friends of mine and I said that the idea of George and Meryl being married just tickled me and one of my friends said, "Don't you just want to be their Butler?" And I said "Yes, yes I do."
Bonus points to this film for including Jarvis Cocker, who I had a major crush on in high school/college. Oh who the hell am I kidding, I still do.
Fun fact: Jarvis Cocker was originally set to be the narrator, but American test audiences had a hard time understanding how awesome his accent was.
Posted by: Sanskrit | January 23, 2010 at 12:36 PM