By: Jonathan Pabico
Wes Anderson’s directing style brings a childlike purity to his stories. Anderson frames his films with fast-paced, but smart dialogue that resonates with our inner intellectual. Eye-popping visuals complement his innocent originality.
One of Anderson’s most famous works is The Grand Budapest Hotel. Starring Ralph Fiennes as its charismatic lead, the film has a talented ensemble cast that delivers quirky, confident performances. The film also creates an appealing strangeness that enriches the narrative through neat and ordered environments, and character mannerisms. With sets that resemble still-life paintings, Anderson’s sharp artistry adds an ethereal look to the film’s bizarre world.
Another Anderson classic is the stop-motion animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox. As a rendition of Roald Dahl’s book of the same name, Fantastic Mr. Fox provides fun, offbeat antics. These antics parody heist films through the story of a fox thief (George Clooney) stealing food from and outsmarting a trio of unpleasant farmers. Like The Grand Budapest Hotel, the film has neat and ordered environments, with real-life textures — but mostly benefits from believable character dynamics. This film is also backed by a superb cast whose performances make the movie’s talking animals light-hearted and funny.
Anderson will release another animated work, Isle of Dogs, on March 23. The film is sure to include his usual array of smart characters, and his exuberant wit. Make sure to catch up on Anderson’s other movies, like Moonrise Kingdom, that further demonstrate his strengths as a director.
