The Best Of Wes: Ranking Wes Anderson’s Films

BY JEREMY HAAS

We’ve all got our favorite directors, those who defy time with their films, who create works of art, rather than mere movies.  Wes Anderson has been that director for a while now, and it seems that with each film he makes, his style becomes all the more diverse, witty, and beautifully done.  With his trademark cinematography, his recurring themes and somewhere in-between modern and retro settings, you can always tell when you’re watching a Wes Anderson film.  With the upcoming release of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and my own fairly fresh obsession with this revolutionary director, it seems appropriate to give him some sort of tribute.  So, in honor of everything this man has created, I thought it’d be fun to order his creations, from marginally less amazing to amazing.  It can serve as a guide, to those who may want to delve into Anderson’s movies, as well as a reminder of just how great his movies are.

Bottle Rocket (1996)

An honest debut, modest in relation to all of Anderson’s other films, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere.  Bottle Rocket follows the Wilson Brothers (Owen and Luke) portrayals of Dignan and Anthony, respectively.  While Anthony is a humble, average guy with a timid disposition, Dignan is impassioned and really tries to be in charge.  Together, they rob convenience stores, stay in cheap motels, and steal cars, all in preparation for some elaborate, “heist.” While Bottle Rocket contains some witty back-and-forth between the two main characters, as well as quirky dialogue from others, it sadly falls short. Being Anderson’s first film, Bottle Rocket isn’t nearly as visually stunning as it’s successors.  The movie also drags at times, and just doesn’t hit as hard as every other Anderson movie.  Maybe I’m missing something. Regardless, Bottle Rocket was fun, interesting, and a clever little crime/male-bonding story that stands tall as its own entity.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Bill Murray is so fantastic at being cynical, sad, and numbed by life.  He’s normally that character in Wes Anderson movies, the depressive guy, desensitized to all chaos going on around him, and his character, Steve Zissou fits right into that mold. However, Murray’s apathetic characters in Wes Anderson movies typically take to the shadows, often there, but never the center of attention (Rushmore excluded).  The Life Aquatic gives sardonic Murray the spotlight as a marine biologist/documentarian whose best friend was eaten by a “Jaguar Shark” on one of their missions. Passionate about getting back at this creature, Murray embarks on a journey to do just that, and is accompanied by his estranged son, (played by Owen Wilson of course.)  The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou has some playful dialogue and interesting character development; however, it lacks those meaningful moments, those film-defining scenes, Wes Anderson movies have.  The Life Aquatic was fun, well shot, and the use of David Bowie’s music really fit the scenes, as it gave an uplifting soundtrack to Bill Murray’s indie version of Whale Wars. No, this film wasn’t the greatest Wes Anderson film, but it was still pretty great.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Walking into Fantastic Mr. Fox, I didn’t know what to expect.  Sure, it’s an animated, PG-rated kids movie, but Wes Anderson made it.  Needless to say, I was intrigued.  Based on an old, classic children’s book, Fantastic Mr. Fox follows the life of Mr. Fox (George Clooney) as well as his family, friends, and passion for thievery.  It’s refreshing to see such a well-scripted movie marketed towards children, but what else would you expect from Anderson?  Instead of dumbing things down and fitting everything into a nice, family friendly mold, Fantastic Mr. Fox remains witty, adding the actual word “cuss” in wherever there would be an inappropriate line, like “what the cuss?” Subtle enough for most kids to overlook, but smart enough to keep me chuckling the whole way through.  The stop motion aspect of the film keeps the indie/retro styles Wes Anderson is famous for. Fantastic Mr. Fox is possibly the most mature family movie of its time, and is a perfect addition to the Anderson collection.

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Named after a train most of the film takes place on, The Darjeeling Limited is a perfect male-bonding story.  It follows three partially estranged brothers who travel around India to achieve “spiritual self discovery.” These three brothers, played by Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman, have a fairly deceptive relationship with each other, as they selectively tell secrets, gossip about each other’s flaws, argue about who the “favorite child” is, and get into comically physical fights.  The Darjeeling Limited takes a dysfunctional brotherly relationship, and puts it in the middle of picturesque India, a country with its own charm that rightfully deserves a spot on the Wes Anderson setting list.  The cinematography did the land justice, the soundtrack, as usual, fit perfectly, and the character development was exponential, subtle, but extremely noticeable by the end of the film. Although Anderson incorporates so much beauty into his films, the standout aspects of them are typically found in their characters.  The Darjeeling Limited is no exception to this rule, as regulars Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman deliver exceptional performances, but newcomer to the wonderful world of Wes, Adrien Brody, goes above and beyond.  Brody spends much of his screen time bringing the cool guy, strong silent type persona to a rat-pack relationship, and, frankly, he fits in like a puzzle piece.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

What is there to say about Moonrise Kingdom that hasn’t already been said?  For a movie following the exploits of two twelve-year-olds, it certainly comes off as one of the more mature love stories I’ve ever seen portrayed in cinema.  Maybe that’s because the main characters, the two star-crossed preteen lovers, are meant to embody romance in its purest, most naive form.  It’s like a hip, underground Romeo and Juliet.  Moonrise Kingdom’s camera work is also something to gasp at, the breath taking visuals of “New Penzance” steal the show, with a palette of soft yellows and blues, and freezing, woody visuals that bring you right into the world of Moonrise Kingdom. Edward Norton and Bruce Willis are excellent cast additions that do a great job in another one Anderson’s indie little worlds. Perhaps Moonrise Kingdom’s characters and story line tie in with many other Anderson flicks; many of them undoubtedly fit the mold. This particular film’s cinematography stands above all others.

Rushmore (1998)

This is the first Wes Anderson movie I watched, so it holds a special place in my heart.  It’s the film that initially sparked my love for this remarkable director and kicks off his successful career. Rushmore follows a 15-year-old Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), an awkward yet extremely intelligent and determined private school student.   Fischer falls in love with a teacher at his school, Ms. Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), and makes friends with a wealthy, yet depressed Herman Blume (Bill Murray).  The sheer wit of this film is astounding. Jason Schwartzman plays an excellent private school geek with strong passions, and his character truly stands out, not only as the protagonist, but also as someone we can all relate to, feel sorry for, and still wish we could be.  Rushmore’s wit is sly, and genius sarcasm surrounds Max Fischer, a certain air of well-deserved pretentiousness does as well.  Maybe it was the fact that Max Fischer has done more with his fictional time at Rushmore Academy than I will with my entire life. Then again, it could just be the fact that Rushmore Academy looks like the perfect dream school of the Wes Anderson universe. Still, there’s something about Rushmore that just clicks, and makes you want to watch it over and over again.  Rushmore is the perfectly dark coming-of-age story that pushes the envelope without ripping it, and I’m pleased that it was my introduction to Wes Anderson.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

A mishmash cast of anti-heroic characters may just make this film.  The gang’s all here, we’ve got a neurotic Ben Stiller, bad-dad Gene Hackman, cold-as-ice angst woman Gwyneth Paltrow, meekly sad Bill Murray, quiet average-joe Luke Wilson, and Danny Glover playing, well, Danny Glover.  The Royal Tenenbaums follows a dysfunctional family, held in awkward place by an emotionally neglectful father figure, Royal Tenenbaum.  What’s great about this film is that it incorporates every notable aspect of Anderson’s signature style; dryly hilarious scripting, complexly simple characters, awe-inspiring cinematography, an unbelievably fitting soundtrack, and of course, an unmistakable retro, indie style.  It takes each of these traits and perfects them, fitting them together into one crazy anti-family film.  The Royal Tenenbaums makes every scene picturesque in its own darkly hilarious way, even the absolute saddest ones (Luke Wilson + Elliot Smith *cough cough*) and it takes the cake for the best Wes Anderson movie by far, so far.