The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

[w/o horse]

I don't agree that a middlebrow perspective is necessary or even important for good filmmaking.

The article spends the majority of its time talking about the differences between Wilson and Baumbach commentary tracks, except when it goes off on a tangent to talk about how much the writer likes Wilson's acting style.  It's a surface only argument, I agree with Pwaybloe.

[grand theft sparrow]

"Zissou" didn't have the finishing touches that Rushmore had, but I never once thought "Oh this is so missing Owen, dude."

Exactly why I have mixed feelings about it.  I like that Owen is getting props for something other than being friends with Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, and Vince Vaughn... but to say that his writing was sorely missed in Life Aquatic is to assume that everyone hated the movie.  And it's also to assume that any future Wes Anderson films will be more like Life Aquatic and less like the Owen-scripted films.  One film, regardless of how you feel about it, is not enough to determine that.

It goes like this: this guy or gal (can't really tell the gender of someone named Field, honestly) got into an argument with a friend last week about the merit of Life Aquatic.  The argument got so heated that he/she had to write an article about it and get paid for it as a way of "winning" the argument.  The movie came out in December and the DVD came out 2 months ago... why put this out now?

[cowboykurtis]

"Zissou" didn't have the finishing touches that Rushmore had, but I never once thought "Oh this is so missing Owen, dude."

The movie came out in December and the DVD came out 2 months ago... why put this out now?

It is usually hard to judge or critique when a peice of work is "in the moment" - it needs an incubation period - just as with history - looking back on our current squabble in the middle east will be much more insightful than forming an opinion amidst the current climate...

i think there is some validity to the article.

obviously much of this is subjective - I, for one, was not a fan of life aquatic - however to suggest that this inferior film (when compared to previous) is solely do to the missing variable of owen wilson is going a bit far - owen was most likely a small part of many variables that were missing during this production.

[Ravi]

I was about to ask what Owen's contribution was to the first three WA films, but the article says nobody knows.  So does anyone here know or have any theories?

[NEON MERCURY]

but I never once thought "Oh this is so missing Owen, dude."

hahaha ture...

its kind of wierd ..when i saw TLAW/ SZ in theatrers i thougth is okay...and nothing more...but i bought the dvd upon release [for soem reason]..and i really love it...thi sone grew on me...i think its the "smartest" of all his films...and made me appreciate wes even more...i have always had this soft spot for bottel rocket as my favorite..but this is making tis way....this is a great film to watch w/ subtitles in your native toungue..

[polkablues]

I was about to ask what Owen's contribution was to the first three WA films, but the article says nobody knows.  So does anyone here know or have any theories?

Don't really know about the first two, but Wes Anderson himself has said that Owen really didn't do any actually writing to speak of on "Tenenbaums".  His credit as a co-writer was given more as a nod to the cinematic style and the brand of humor that he and Anderson had developed together in "Bottle Rocket" and "Rushmore".

[hedwig]

I was about to ask what Owen's contribution was to the first three WA films, but the article says nobody knows.  So does anyone here know or have any theories?

The article's kinda wrong on that, in my opinion. On the Rushmore DVD, in Charlie Rose interview, Wes goes into a bit of detail on their writing process: Wes is the one who types, so when Wilson writes something, Wes types it up and leaves out the shit he doesn't like. On the other hand, when Wes writes something and Wilson doesn't like it, he puts a big "X" through it, about which Wes commented, "which just seems so much more rude," or something to that effect.  Also, obviously they share certain sensibilities and a particular sense of humor. (Wes says he bounces ideas off of Wilson.) I think it's not as mysterious as the article makes it out to be.

[pete]

that article tried so hard.  I can see where the general assumption is
coming from, but it just does the same thing most lame critics do in
trashing Wes: by calling him "emo."  I mean he's been that way forever
now.  Life Aquatic was Wes pushing the boundary of "bittersweetness"
too far, so far in fact, that some people have dismissed his sad
scenes as "black comedy" or "irony" or whatever.  it's a bad reading,
and a lazy reading.  Wes has been attempting things like that forever
now: "my mother is dead" in rushmore, the opening montage in tenebaums
and so forth.  but now he's almost completely not feeding the audience
anything, not giving them cues to cry or laugh, just presenting the
scenes exactly as he wants them, with hints of emotions here and
there.  I don't think that's a bad thing, I don't think that's a way
to court audience (ahem Todd Solondz) but I don't think it's a bad
thing, it's just something Wes has always been fascinated with in his
tone.  this critic has completely missed that, instead she just
labelled Wes things she couldn't've labelled him ten years ago because
hipsterism was not in the vernacular back then.  I really think that
article is unfair and it tries especially hard to hype of Owen's
"intelligence" (like any serious person who could separate the actor
from the character would actually doubt his intelligence in the first
place) by out of context commentary tracks and other trivial quotes.
that's an interesting thought, and I think owen wilson's disappereance
has certainly contributed to wes's dwindling popularity, but I don't
think it makes Wes a terrible filmmaker or anything.  maybe an article
that tries not as hard would be more convincing.

[Pubrick]

maybe an article
that tries not as hard would be more convincing.

or a poem, perhaps?

i agree with u here, especially in the point of wes not leaving markers for the audience. i never reviewed this movie but i can say now having watched it several times on dvd, while not being criterion material, it's his most touching. for example at the point when they were all looking at the jaguar shark and zissou says "i wonder if it remembers me", i choked up, on the EXACT note he did. beautiful moment, easily missed.

[w/o horse]

while not being criterion material.

I wonder if Criterion thinks of Criterion like you guys think of Criterion.

I think The Life Aquatic is Wes's best, but even outside of that personal opinion of mine, I think it will have an impact on a certain group of filmmakers.  It seems to meet the qualifications to me.

[Ravi]

You can't judge whether Owen was a balance to Wes or whatever based on one film.

[b. real]

while not being criterion material.

I wonder if Criterion thinks of Criterion like you guys think of Criterion.

movie made me buy a red cap and speedo of fan boy likes, what's not to like?

and any and all of wes's movies are cool to see on criterion, least he isn't a gay boner like ptghey.

[hedwig]

[pete]

I got a red cap too, two of them actually.  I worked at a theater on Christmas.

[modage]

i kinda agree with the article.  or atleast have wondered similar thoughts in the past few months...