I wanted to like this movie much more than I did since I've liked many Wes Anderson movies in the past. This movie just didn't do all that much for me, though.
Sure it's shiny and detailed and Wes Anderson has a distinctive visual style. He can repeat motifs over and over. He can play up his own little inside jokes for his fan base, give them a wink as if to say "isn't it fun being part of my club." The fact is that I didn't actually feel like the characters were in any way real. They were all exaggerated cartoons. I know that's Wes' style and it works sometimes, especially in the more comedic moments and when the characters weren't mostly just a stuttering of themes without direction. Thanks for showing us your stylistic twitches.
As profound as this movie wants to be, it often came off as simply pretentious and too clever by half.
I'm sure the people will fall all over themselves to defend this movie, say it's the best thing ever made and they're happy that they're elite enough to understand it while anyone who criticizes it didn't truly understand.
Fine, reinforce your clique if it makes you feel better.
But perhaps I (and others who criticize it) understood it just fine, but didn't have a need to try reading in as much profoundness, where there really wasn't much of actual substance there. Lots of style, lots of repeated elements, lots of flash. No one would claim that it's lacking in style, just that it lacks in believability and real feeling. The cartoon characters didn't tug at my heart strings, sorry.
It's probably worth seeing for its stylistic elements, I just wouldn't go in counting on lots more than that.
Sure it's shiny and detailed and Wes Anderson has a distinctive visual style. He can repeat motifs over and over. He can play up his own little inside jokes for his fan base, give them a wink as if to say "isn't it fun being part of my club." The fact is that I didn't actually feel like the characters were in any way real. They were all exaggerated cartoons. I know that's Wes' style and it works sometimes, especially in the more comedic moments and when the characters weren't mostly just a stuttering of themes without direction. Thanks for showing us your stylistic twitches.
As profound as this movie wants to be, it often came off as simply pretentious and too clever by half.
I'm sure the people will fall all over themselves to defend this movie, say it's the best thing ever made and they're happy that they're elite enough to understand it while anyone who criticizes it didn't truly understand.
Fine, reinforce your clique if it makes you feel better.
But perhaps I (and others who criticize it) understood it just fine, but didn't have a need to try reading in as much profoundness, where there really wasn't much of actual substance there. Lots of style, lots of repeated elements, lots of flash. No one would claim that it's lacking in style, just that it lacks in believability and real feeling. The cartoon characters didn't tug at my heart strings, sorry.
It's probably worth seeing for its stylistic elements, I just wouldn't go in counting on lots more than that.