In a modern landscape of big budget blockbusters, CGI-littered action movies, and underwritten Netflix originals, it’s easy for a mainstream moviegoer to feel like fresh, stylish stories are a thing of the past. It’s unfortunately rare to find a new major theatrical release that captures something unique or quirky. Thankfully, unique and quirky can also describe the zany worlds of Wes Anderson’s films. Wes Anderson is an American filmmaker who gained traction in the late 90s for his feature films Bottle Rocket and Rushmore. While not entirely molded to his modern style, these films contained telltale signs of the masterful storyteller and movie-magician Anderson would evolve into.
Movie fans can easily spot the films of this Texas-born director through his multitude of consistent stylistic elements across a majority of his stories. The candy-coated coloration, the comically deadpan characters, the overly rambly dialogue, or, most notably, the almost two-dimensional camera angles that focus more on the composition of the shot than anything else. In these symmetrical camera shots, Wes Anderson typically knows exactly what he wants in the shot. Therefore, he’s able to focus on the intricate details of the scene rather than build a bigger set out of view of the camera. Another defining Wes Anderson trait includes his recurring band of actors such as Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Willem Dafoe. Writing such eccentric and offbeat characters, Wes creates a creative and cooperative environment in which actors frequently report having an amazing time. Big movie stars like Scarlett Johansson even take on Wes Anderson roles for cheap, as his films offer a breath of fresh air from the quippy, green screen-centric blockbusters currently dominating cinema.
Most importantly however, these goofy, sometimes confusing flicks always present a touching, nostalgic narrative disguised as an eccentric comedic romp. Throughout any one of his movies, the layers of quirk are pulled back as the sad, relatable truth of his characters reveals itself. This balance of melancholy and silliness made Wes Anderson into the auteur many of his fans describe him as, and these following five films best exemplify those traits.
#5 – The Phoenician Scheme
Wes Anderson’s latest work released just a few months ago, and continues his trend of sending broken, indecent characters on journeys to better themselves. Zsa-Zsa Korda is an unbelievably wealthy industrialist who lives by the motto “If something gets in your way: flatten it”. Korda, played by Benicio Del Toro, attempts to bring to fruition an ambitious financial scheme, at the cost of his morality, if he had any to begin with. Accompanied by his daughter Liesl, Korda learns compassion and humility as the story progresses, supported by very comedically timed assassination attempts on the man. Michael Cera as Bjorn truly steals the film for me though, with his varied delivery, range of emotions, and comedic timing. Bjorn’s romantic relationship with Liesl is without a doubt the most fun part of the movie, but more importantly, Korda and Liesl’s father-daughter relationship underlines the “wealth corrupts, family unites” themes of the film. Overall, a fun new entry in Wes Anderson’s catalogue, quite funny, and of course, features an all-star cast.
#4 – The Royal Tenenbaums
Arriving just at the turn of the century in 2001, The Royal Tenenbaums introduced the unique style Wes Anderson would come to be known for today. Surrounding a dysfunctional, estranged family of child prodigies and a deadbeat dad, the titular Royal Tenenbaum, this tale follows the misadventures of this wacky family while also tackling some horribly upsetting trauma that ultimately brings the family closer together again. With by far the most heart of any of Wes Anderson’s films, The Royal Tenenbaums really stuck with me. The soundtrack sets the tone of the film phenomenally well, and Tenenbaums’ household feels so lived in and in some cases fantastical, in no small part because of the expertly crafted cinematography. Royal Tenenbaum might just be my favorite Anderson character ever just because of how much of a scumbag he is. To think Gene Hackman almost turned down this role!
#3 – Moonrise Kingdom
One of the simplest and most heartwarming stories told in one of these movies, Moonrise Kingdom follows the love story of two twelve year old outsiders who run away from home while the small island they live on erupts into chaos trying to find the missing children. The pacing on this film feels much more digestible to me as opposed to many of Wes’s other works. The dialogue is also much clearer. This leaves a very coherent story that feels so zoned in on making its characters and environments the priority. It’s such a beautiful film that evokes the nostalgic feelings of summer camp with its woodsy backdrop. Cousin Ben, played by Jason Schwartzman arrives just at the last third of the film to create one of the silliest characters on this entire list. From the summer vibes to the naive young love, Moonrise Kingdom easily sits as one of Wes Anderson’s most comforting films.
#2 – Fantastic Mr. Fox
Most definitely his most widely recognized film, Fantastic Mr. Fox shows Wes Anderson’s strengths through an entirely different medium: stop motion animation. Funnily enough, the energy, style, and even recurring cast members stay consistent from his other films, but the medium of stop motion opened the floodgates for Wes to let his creativity shine. The colors, the physical humor, the simple fact that this looks more visually appealing than anything Disney has done in years; it all adds up to an awesome movie. The plot revolves around Mr. Fox, voiced by George Clooney, who returns to his life of crime because it’s in his nature. On face value, the heist antics appeal to younger audiences, but watching this movie years later, you’ll notice the intricacies of each of Mr. Fox’s relationships and how his way of life affects the people around him, especially Mrs. Fox. Undeniably one of the most impressive animated movies I’ve seen to date, with the perfect balance of humor and heart.
#1 The Grand Budapest Hotel
It’s tricky to pinpoint what exactly makes The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson’s greatest work. On paper, it’s just another wacky adventure with Wes’s signature style stamped on top of it. Could it be elevated by the cast of ridiculously eccentric characters who we follow on this quest? Maybe the colorful and gorgeous production design that looks like you could take a giant bite out of it? Maybe it’s the tight screenplay, with twists and turns and friendship and failure told through different points in time? Or maybe it’s the premiere example of all these things, and why Wes Anderson movies work well in the first place. The Grand Budapest Hotel has a lot going on. A fascist regime takeover, a murder case, a theft of a renaissance painting, and the transformation of Europe entirely. But at the core, it’s a story about friendship. It’s a story about M. Gustave and his concierge Zero and all their ups and downs along the way. That’s what Wes Anderson does the best. He hides something real to everyone in the depths of a complicated narrative, despite the fact that he’s showing you everything you need to see in each individual frame.
Wes Anderson isn’t for everyone. Many view his films as pretentious or frustrating to watch. But if you give them a chance, you’ll come to realize that they are some of the most hilarious, touching, beautiful movies you’ll ever see. With a continuous barrage of formulaic movies in the past decade or two, Wes Anderson shows us what cinema can do when you treat it with great care, attention to detail, and a bit of heart for good measure.