A fun and quirky feature debut by Wes Anderson, with “fun and quirky” being his stock in trade, that feels more like a low-budget training ground for a fledgling artist than a great accomplishment in its own right.
And yet it’s the second attempt at the story, after a short film outing.
Taken into the general context of cinema at the time, this must have seemed like just another mid-90s lowlife/gangster/caper black comedy, which had been all the rage since Reservoir Dogs came out. Tiresomely so. But, out of context, it’s a rather heartwarming tale of two nobodies trying hard to do nothing in particular and getting nowhere in the process.
Aww.
The early signs of Anderson’s technical trademarks are all in place, including whip-pans, POV shots, bird-like physical mannerisms, and Owen Wilson, as are his thematic ones, such as emotional turmoil, unrequited love, spiritual boredom, and Owen Wilson. However, its dramatic rough edges, comedic misfires, and dismal location cinematography all remind us that Anderson’s best work was yet to come.
Sparsely engaging, but still above its peers.
Do stay in touch, darlings.
Toodles!
No comments:
Post a Comment