Tuesday, February 2, 2010

My favorite 20 films of the 2000s: The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

These are my 20 personal favorite films of the 2000s and they are not being ranked according to any criteria, other than I love them. So here they are, in alphabetical order:





The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) Director Wes Anderson has received much acclaim for some of his other works, but I will defend to my death that this is his best work. Ok, maybe I’m being dramatic, but ever since I saw this film on opening weekend in a theater filled with about 15 people I have come to love every shot. I watch the dvd every so often and don’t always finish it, I just browse through scenes. Something is very captivating to me about the overall arch of the story (believable, yet completely never going to happen) and the way that Bill Murray completely owns the role of Steve Zissou, a Jacques Cousteau –like figure who leads team Zissou on aquatic expeditions around the globe making documentaries.

Unfortunately Zissou is past his prime, and his wife Eleanor (Anjelica Huston) has had enough of paying for the projects – she is leaving him and shacking up with Zissou’s arch-rival, Alistair Hennessey, in a role suited perfectly for an arrogant Jeff Goldblum. Filled with typical Anderson humor which is very subdued and definitely not for everyone, it is a film where the supporting cast means everything and the directorial decisions made throughout make this one of my favorite comedy/dramas of all time.



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