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Wes Anderson is a young and talented auteur whose films have developed a cult following based on their quirky eccentricities, matter-of-fact style, and a half-mocking self-awareness that many interpret as their inclusion into the joke of the esoteric subject matter. As far as establishing a mood and feel that are uniquely his own, Anderson has no equal.
But where he falls short and, say, his contemporary Paul Thomas Anderson succeeds, is in having a point (or something of consequence in the balance) to underline his effervescent style. In short, Wes Anderson’s films, which include “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums” (his best work thus far and the one that also proves his talent and potential) are fun to look at and listen to, but are also inherently inconsequential despite obvious attempts to connect on a fundamental human level.
For those who hoped that “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” would be the realization of his gifts, disappointment awaits. This is a muddled, precocious and pretty mess, with all the trimmings of Anderson’s trademark style but devoid of the needed substance that would provide weight to its levity.
Bill Murray is Steve Zissou, an oceanographer bent on exacting revenge on the “Jaguar” shark that killed his partner. Joining him on the expedition to track down the shark are Ned (Owen Wilson), who may or may not be his son; Klaus (Willem Dafoe), a jealous German with a temper; a pregnant and nosy journalist (Cate Blanchett) who falls for Ned; a bond company “stooge” (Bud Cort — Harold lives!) who is kidnapped by pirates; Pele (Seu Jorge), whose only discernible function is to sing David Bowie songs in Portuguese; and a number of unpaid interns and other supporting characters. Rounding out the cast are Jeff Goldblum as a competing oceanographer, Anjelica Huston as Steve’s wife and Michael Gambon as the studio executive funding the documentary to be made of this expedition.
While the actors smirk and smarm their way through the script (don’t even think about an Oscar nomination for Murray), Anderson and his writing partner Noah Baumbach provide playful asides such as bankruptcy, pseudo love triangle jealousy, a three-legged dog, animated sea life, power constantly flickering on and off, daring rescues and a lot of pettiness to keep things fluffy, but it’s all so darn cute that it’s impossible to actually care about what’s going on. Also, the pirate raid and kidnapping isn’t a subplot so much as it is a complete distraction from the goal of finding the shark; it’s a half hour diversion that isn’t entertaining enough to warrant its inclusion on its own and does nothing for the overall narrative.
“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” is harmless, silly fun that will appeal to Anderson fans, but even they will likely admit that it’s not his best work. While style without substance has its place in some films (such as every action movie we see), Anderson’s stories demand more attention and development for his movies to work. If he is ever going to break out and appeal to more than his regulars, he is first going to have to get over himself.
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