Billy Pilgrim
Stye in my eye
I'm excited, as this film is finally playing in my town. I'm going to go see it tonight. Hopefully it'll have the short Hotel Chevalier with it. I haven't seen it yet, and would like to see it the first time on the big screen.
Simon Höfer
Veteran
I've seen it yesterday and really loved it. I was so much fun to watch it. Walking out of the cinema with a smile on my face. 
Batutta
Major Contributor
I watched about 30 minutes of this and shut if off. It was so Wes Anderson-y I wanted to puke...And Rushmore is one of my favorite films. His style has become so particular and repetitive as to become a parody of itself. Maybe I'll try and watch the rest and see if my opinion changes, but I just couldn't bare to look at another perfectly arranged insert shot of teacups or whatever is the focus of Anderson's near-autistic obsession. Wes, baby, please follow the other Anderson, Paul Thomas's' lead and shift stylistic gears.
Adam J McKay
Veteran
I loved it, I love the anderson style. It's what makes his films great. I thought the Darjeeling was no different. Great film I recomend it to anyone. I have come across some people theorizing that Bill Murray's role in the beginning of the film is a spin from Lost in translation and Bill is off to see the world. I really like that idea. but really, who knows.
Batutta
Major Contributor
I loved it the first time I saw it in Rushmore. It seemed to be an extension of the lead character's theatrical worldview. When I saw the same style exercised in Royal Tenenbaums I realized it was just the director's fetish, and the characters became props in his elaborate set designs. With each successive film the characters have become less interesting and the style more heavy handed. The stories just felt like excuses for the director to explore his visual fetishes, rather than the style evolving out of the subject matter. Every director has a "style", but Anderson's is so exacting and particular it's starting to become a joke.
Right now, Barry G should be in the Panasonic booth with Barry Braverman, who produced and shot the BTS. It's top-notch documentary work.
Batutta
Major Contributor
My Challenge to Wes Anderson. Make a film without--
1. A quirky and theatrical iconoclast who cajoles his apathetic friends and family into a series of oddball adventures.
2. Any British invasion music, not even cover versions.
3. A final slow motion group shot...or how about any slow motion shots whatsoever.
4. An overhead insert shot of artfully arranged objects.
5. The Futura font.
6. A straight on medium shot of one character talking to the camera, followed by the exact same reverse angle of the character being talked to.
7. That Indian guy...okay you can keep him, he's always funny.
1. A quirky and theatrical iconoclast who cajoles his apathetic friends and family into a series of oddball adventures.
2. Any British invasion music, not even cover versions.
3. A final slow motion group shot...or how about any slow motion shots whatsoever.
4. An overhead insert shot of artfully arranged objects.
5. The Futura font.
6. A straight on medium shot of one character talking to the camera, followed by the exact same reverse angle of the character being talked to.
7. That Indian guy...okay you can keep him, he's always funny.
He makes what he likes.
He's never done better than Rushmore, though; not even close.
He's never done better than Rushmore, though; not even close.
Adam J McKay
Veteran
I can agree that the style of his films is sometimes overpowering, but for me that what makes them good. I should admit however that I have never seen the life aquatic nor have I seen Tenenbaums the whole way through. So essentially I am basing this on Rushmore, which I love, and Darjeeling, which I also love.
Darjeeling made me want to keep making movies. Especially those with well-conceived production design. One thing Wes does really well is create singular, compelling environments for his characters to act within.
Wes falls back on certain, erm, devices throughout his films - certainly true. I don't resent it though. For whatever reason, it makes the films endearing and not annoying.
Aquatic, Rushmore, Darjeeling and Bottle Rocket all did a great job of putting things under the looking glass. The characters aren't nearly as quirky as they seem at first blush. Many of them resemble people I know in some ways. I think his characters are very relatable.
In the end it comes down somewhat to taste. Not good or bad, just different.
e
Wes falls back on certain, erm, devices throughout his films - certainly true. I don't resent it though. For whatever reason, it makes the films endearing and not annoying.
Aquatic, Rushmore, Darjeeling and Bottle Rocket all did a great job of putting things under the looking glass. The characters aren't nearly as quirky as they seem at first blush. Many of them resemble people I know in some ways. I think his characters are very relatable.
In the end it comes down somewhat to taste. Not good or bad, just different.
e
TheMacB
Veteran
I love the shot when the train's lost:
They step out of the train, pan up to guy on walkie-talkie, pan back to the boys, track with them, they look at something, stop tracking and pan to what they're looking at, they step into the new frame, start tracking with them, they talk to Brennan, pan to Brennan, pan back to them, stop tracking, Brennan steps into the frame, owen wilson steps out of the frame, pan to Owen Wilson, Brennan steps into this frame, Owen Wilson points to a mountain, pan to the mountain.
That's a hell of a shot.
They step out of the train, pan up to guy on walkie-talkie, pan back to the boys, track with them, they look at something, stop tracking and pan to what they're looking at, they step into the new frame, start tracking with them, they talk to Brennan, pan to Brennan, pan back to them, stop tracking, Brennan steps into the frame, owen wilson steps out of the frame, pan to Owen Wilson, Brennan steps into this frame, Owen Wilson points to a mountain, pan to the mountain.
That's a hell of a shot.
