Wes Anderson Films – A Ranking [So Far . . .]

As this blog suggests, I am a very big Wes Anderson fan. I can never quite pinpoint why it is that I enjoy his films so much, I suppose the only way to describe them is that they’re Wes Anderson. He is essentially his own genre; his films contain intelligent whimsical writing and characters as well as being beautifully aesthetic. Up until now I had seen a handful of Wes Anderson films but over the course of the summer I decided to commit to watching every single one of the films he has written and directed so far, so as a result my list is compiled of nine films. Although I enjoyed all of them, they are of course special in their own way, there are ones I much preferred to others. I was inspired to write this blog after listening to the ‘The Rewatchables’ podcast [a brilliant podcast that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys film] about ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ and decided that I could write a blog about my own ranking of the films [from least to most favourite].

‘Rushmore’ was Wes Anderson’s second film, released in 1998 and it is my least favourite. Although the film is a cult favourite, I don’t think it is Anderson’s best work. It follows the story of Max [played by Jason Schwartzman – a Wes Anderson favourite] who falls in love with his teacher and befriends Herman [played by Bill Murray – another Wes Anderson regular]. Max goes on to discover that the two are having an affair and their lives spiral out of control when Max attempts to seek vengeance. The film isn’t a bad watch but it is somewhat boring for a Wes Anderson film in my opinion. Of course there is a whimsical element to it – with Max’s red beret and his long list of extra-curricular activities that overshadow his academic success. However for me the film is somewhat lacking that Wes Anderson spark that he perfected much later on, plus it is also a lot less stylised which is what I think makes his films so enjoyable to me.

Anderson’s first film ‘Bottle Rocket’ is next on the list. This was released in 1996 and stars Owen and Luke Wilson, who grew up with Wes Anderson and are his long-time collaborators. This film is perhaps not always entertaining, but there is something about Luke Wilson’s laid-back demeaner that pins it above ‘Rushmore’ for me. Essentially the film consists of three friends trying to pull off a robbery. Dignan [Owen Wilson] is a strange character with some serious problems that are kind of skimmed over, he has a strange friendship with a Mr Henry who ultimately takes advantage of his vulnerability. For me though Luke Wilson as Anthony steals the film, his acting technique is the perfect fit for the film. He brings a calm presence to the erratic behaviour of Dignan and his stoicism is brilliant. This film is an easy watch and it perfectly captures the beauty of Wes Anderson’s style.

The second film I ever watched of Wes Anderson’s was ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, released in 2012, and for some reason I found it slightly underwhelming. At this period Anderson’s style had been fully realised and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ is a clear example of this, although for the me the storyline was somewhat dull. I know a lot of people cite this as one of Anderson’s better works but I wasn’t as impressed. Ultimately the film follows two young teenagers Suzy and Sam who decide to run away, which causes a stir and a search party ensues. Of course the concept is so completely Wes Anderson and I suppose the simplicity of it is what he does best but it was perhaps only really much of a muchness for me. There is however a good array of characters, which is a central aspect of Anderson’s work but I think for me I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as Anderson’s other works.

The next film I have gone for is 2018’s ‘Isle of Dogs’ which is Wes Anderson’s most recent work [excluding ‘The French Dispatch’ which I am yet to see]. This was Anderson’s second stop motion and there are some problems with that I suppose, as it doesn’t quite compare to that of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’. However overall I did find it mostly enjoyable. The story follows a boy ‘Atari’ as he travels to the Isle of Dogs [created as a result of a dog pandemic] to find his own lost dog that was his only true companion. I enjoyed the concept of the film and I do admittedly like Wes Anderson’s stop motion creation which I think does set it apart slightly. Although I didn’t like it in ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, I think the simplicity of this film truly made it – particularly when you consider the message about companionship and friendship that runs throughout the film. I think it is one of Anderson’s better film and more people should watch it as I know it hasn’t been as popular as some of his other work.

This film is perhaps Wes Anderson’s most popular or most recognised, it is of course ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ which was released in 2001. This film is supported by a brilliant cast and it is the exact whimsical odyssey that you expect to receive from Anderson and which I think is what makes it so popular. What I think makes the film is the balance of comedy but also the sensitivity that runs throughout. It also boasts a great soundtrack, something which I think Anderson is often overlooked for. The film follows the members of the Tenenbaum family as they all end up gathering back in their family home, which of course brings up numerous feelings and memories which are explored extremely well. The film is a popular one and you often see people dressing up as ‘Margot’ or ‘Richie’ for Halloween. Again, I think this is a film where Luke Wilson shines, his character appears to be somewhat secondary to his chaotic siblings but he ultimately steals the show when his sensitivity and emotions are explored further. Although the film is essentially a comedy I think it does a great job of exploring family dynamics as well as stylising our fantasies about growing up in a wealthy part of New York.

My next choice is ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ which was released in 2007. This film follows three brothers as they travel around India, to eventually go and ask their mother why she didn’t attend their father’s funeral. Although there are some problematic elements to this film I actually really enjoyed it. I don’t know if that’s because I liked the messages it brought forward about life and death – which I think is what the film is really about – or because the cast was pretty good-looking. Yes I think Adrien Brody is a good-looking man. My favourite part of the film was perhaps the stark difference the brothers saw in their own father’s funeral and the one held in India for a boy which is more celebratory. I think the film is brilliant and I believe a lot more people should go out of their way to watch it as I believe it to be a lot more overlooked. Again, the stylisation of the film is perfect and makes it a beautiful watch cinematically.

In third place is 2009’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ which was Wes Anderson’s first stop motion animation. The film is a great watch during the Autumn and I think it does a brilliant job of capturing Roald Dahl’s classic tale. Wes Anderson’s quirky approach is perhaps the only true match for the imagination of Roald Dahl. Most people know the story of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ so I won’t go into too much explanation of it. I think the characterisation of this film is brilliant and George Clooney’s soothing voice is the icing on the cake. The animation is also beautiful and it perfectly matches the theme of the film, which again ultimately explores the idea of families and family bonding. It is a particular favourite of mine and my sister’s which I think is also another great aspect of the film. It can be more easily a family film than any other of Anderson’s work.

Taking up second place is ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’ from 2004. Again like ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ I think this film is slightly less popular, I think most people view the middle period of Anderson’s career as the lesser, however I really enjoyed this film and seriously considered putting it in the number one spot. Perhaps this is because I particularly like Bill Murray who stars as ‘Steve Zissou’ who is an Oceanographer attempting to get revenge on a shark that killed his partner. In the midst of this Owen Wilson enters the picture as ‘Ned’, who may or may not be Zissou’s long lost son. Like most of Anderson’s films it is filled with adventure and again this contains a brilliant soundtrack [consisting of French covers of David Bowie’s songs]. Murray I think does a good job of demonstrating the lack of feeling Zissou has through his almost lazy demeanour but we ultimately see him release what it is that he considers important. The concept is almost completely original and I think it is one of Wes Anderson’s better films.

Now we have finally come to what I consider Wes Anderson’s best piece of work, perhaps this is because it was the first Anderson film I ever watched. It is ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ released in 2014. I remember seeing the trailer for the film and thinking it looked slightly odd but then growing more intrigued and I received it on DVD for Christmas. I watched it on Christmas day and was completely enamoured. I found it hilarious and my love for Wes Anderson was born, which has definitely solidified more recently. I think the film is the best example of Wes Anderson’s talents. Managing to get a brilliant cast, a funny script, sensitivity, imagination, originality as well aesthetics. Essentially, the film perfectly demonstrates how Wes Anderson has managed to accumulate his own genre of film. The storyline never gets boring which I think is sometimes Anderson’s weakness, the characters are brilliant and bounce off of each other perfectly. The film follows the story of M. Gustave [Ralph Fiennes] and Zero [Tony Revolori] as they attempt to ensure that they can keep the painting ‘Boy with Apple’ that had been left to Gustave in a will of one of his clients. There is also a brilliant cast of Anderson regulars and the film is another one that could be described as beautiful. There are some great shots and I particularly enjoyed when the camera panned to a full shot of the hotel. This film is my favourite and I strongly recommend that anyone watches it when they get the chance to.