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He’s one of the most idiosyncratic, stylish and beloved film-makers of the past three decades.
A writer-director known for his attention to detail, wry humour and ability to bring together truly impressive acting ensembles.
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The French Dispatch, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Royal Tenenbaums are three of Wes Anderson’s 10 feature films released so far.
Yes, Wes Anderson is a one-of-a-kind – someone whose sensibilities don’t appeal to everyone, but whose trademark whimsy has garnered him an army of loyal fans.
As his latest adventure Asteroid City prepares to open in Kiwi cinemas this week, Stuff to Watch has taken a look back at the now 54-year-old Texan’s 10 features so far and come up with our ultimate ranking of his oeuvre – from worst to best.
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Owen Wilson made his first big-screen appearance in Bottle Rocket.
10. Bottle Rocket (1996, iTunes)
Based on Anderson’s 1994 short film of the same name, his debut feature also marks the acting debuts of both co-writer Owen Wilson and his brother Luke.
It’s the story of two friends who embark on a crime spree with the help of their neighbour (Robert Musgrave), despite not knowing the first thing about how to pull off a heist.
“This is a movie about friendship, about foolhardy endeavours that get your adrenaline going and make you feel life buzzing in your toes. Written with wit and concision and remarkable confidence, Bottle Rocket is a joyride worth taking,” wrote The Philadelphia Enquirer’s Steven Rea.
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Adrian Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson played siblings in The Darjeeling Limited.
9. The Darjeeling Limited (2007, Disney+)
A year after their father’s funeral, three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman) travel across India by train in an attempt to bond with each other.
Anderson also created a short-film prologue Hotel Chevalier, starring Schwartzman and Natalie Portman, for the movie.
A trio of songs by The Kinks and Peter Sarstedt’s Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) feature on the soundtrack.
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Timothee Chalamet and Frances McDormand were just two of the many stars who litter The French Dispatch.
8. The French Dispatch (2021, Disney+)
A love letter to journalism which brings to life a series of stories destined for the pages of the final edition of the eponymous magazine.
It’s the mix of mediums, formats and colour palettes (there’s even an animated chase sequence) that makes French Dispatch such a joy to behold, even despite its piecemeal, sometimes free-form format.
Anderson’s commitment to the style, tone and look of each section is admirable and the cast he has gathered together (everyone from Timothee Chalamet to Tilda Swinton) is quite simply breathtaking.
Bruce Willis and Bill Murray had fun playing against type, but child stars Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman owned Moonrise Kingdom.
7. Moonrise Kingdom (2012, iTunes, GooglePlay, YouTube)
Director Anderson’s wondrous sense of whimsy reached new heights with this tale of two 12-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact and run away together into the wilderness.
As always with an Anderson production, the delights are in the details, as well as the truly impressive acting ensemble, which here includes everyone from Bruce Willis to Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand.
Photo: Philippe Antonello
Bill Murray’s Steve Zizou is joined by Owen Wilson’s Ned Plimpton and Cate Blanchett’s Jane Winslett-Richardson in The Life Aquatic.
6. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zizou (2004, Disney+)
Anderson’s homage to Jacques Cousteau is also a self-confessed “revenge” movie. The eponymous oceanographer’s (Bill Murray) latest voyage is essentially the hunt for the jaguar shark that killed his best friend.
Plenty of hijinks ensue as an all-star cast, that also includes Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe and Jeff Goldblum, join the aquatic action.
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Ralph Fiennes is The Grand Budapest Hotel’s legendary concierge Gustave H.
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, Disney+)
Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe and Saoirse Ronan head an all-star cast in this tale about a legendary concierge at a famous hotel from the fictional Republic of Zubrowka.
When Gustave H. (Fiennes) is framed for the murder of a wealthy dowager (Swinton), he and his recently befriended protégé Zero (Tony Revolori) embark on a quest for fortune and a priceless Renaissance painting amidst the backdrop of an encroaching fascist regime.
“The film is whimsical, deeply funny, unexpectedly moving, and completely entrancing,” wrote Stuff to Watch’s own Graeme Tuckett. “In among the madcap chase across snowy mountains, Anderson works in sly observations on bravery, identity and virtue.”
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In Isle of Dogs, Atari (Koyu Rankin) seeks the help of Trash Island’s canine inhabitants to help him locate his own beloved pooch Spots.
4. Isle of Dogs (2018, Disney+)
Stop-motion animation tale which begins in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki. Due to a canine influenza pandemic, Mayor Kenji Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) banishes all dogs to Trash Island.
However, missing his beloved pooch Spots (Liev Schreiber), Kobayashi’s nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin) sets out to find him, with the help of a group of dogs led by stray Chief (Bryan Cranston).
“Such a feast of illustrated imagination and subtle wit in its depiction of an exiled canine kingdom that the idea of a life lived under the heavy paw of our pooch overlords doesn’t seem like such a bad one,” wrote Houston Chronicle’s Cary Darling.
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George Clooney and Meryl Streep provided the voices for Mr. and Mrs. Fox.
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009, Disney+, Netflix)
Large-scale larceny, rabies and a severe case of teenage angst – this isn’t your traditional kid-friendly animated movie. However, Wes Anderson’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book is a bravura piece of film-making and, well, truly fantastic entertainment for the whole whānau.
There are nods to classic films like High Noon, The Great Escape and The Wizard of Oz, while Anderson’s attention to detail and use of the whole frame rewards repeat viewings.
The brilliant vocal cast includes George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Michael Gambon.
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Ben Stiller, Danny Glover, Gwyneth Paltrow and Anjelica Huston joined forces for The Royal Tenenbaums.
2. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Disney+)
Using a superb, dead-pan voiceover by Alec Baldwin, director Anderson invites the audience into the lives and secrets of each of this Addams Family-meets-New York high society.
Chas (Ben Stiller) and his two sons Uzi and Ari all wear the same 1970s-style Adidas tracksuits, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) has been a secret smoker for 20 years and Ritchie’s (Luke Wilson) tennis career ended with an amazing on-court meltdown.
Gene Hackman was nominated for an Oscar, but this is an ensemble piece with flair. From Gwyneth Paltrow to Ben Stiller, Anjelica Huston and the Wilson brothers (Owen, as well as Luke), everyone is uniformly superb.
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Bill Murray starred opposite Jason Schwartzman in Rushmore.
1. Rushmore (1998, Disney+)
Many people will argue there are better Anderson films, but it’s the combination of Bill Murray at his most charming, the delightful discovery of Olivia Williams and Jason Schwartzman’s subversive anti-hero that makes this high-school comedy shine above the rest.
The many delights are in the details, from Max’s many extra-curricular activities to his bravura Apocalypse Now-inspired stage show.
Wes Anderson’s latest movie Asteroid City opens in select Kiwi cinemas nationwide on August 10.
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