The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

I know in my last post that I said I couldn't list my top 5 movies. However, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou would have to be on my top 5 list.

I don't even know where to begin. This movie is so awesome on so many levels. Let's start with the director. It was directed by Wes Anderson. Should I continue or is that reason enough to run out there and purchase this movie so you can watch it at any moment? We will continue just in case...it was written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach (Of The Squid and the Whale fame). And the cast, oh man, the cast! Bill Murray, Kate Blanchet, Angelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, etc., etc., etc. How can any movie with that cast not be a tremendous success. I don't normally say this but even the Soundtrack was out of this world.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a comedy. It covers the dry comical intricacies of growing older, family relationships, leaving a legacy, lost love, new found love, celebrity, marriage, self-grandeur, friendships, and trying to do what's best in a life that often doesn't cooperate with good intentions. It is like other Wes Anderson movies in its humor and wittiness. I would venture as far as to say that The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is the best Wes Anderson movie ever made.

Bill Murray plays Steve Zissou. Steve Zissou was a world famous marine explorer that made movies. However, with time his popularity and celebrity faded as new generations of his audience lost interest in marine exploration. In Steve's last movie his friend is killed by an unidentified shark. The loss of his friend and his failing celebrity is too much for Zissou and he decided that he will find and kill the shark that killed his friend no matter what. At the same time a possibly illegimate child of Steve's (played by Owen Wilson) show up to meet his supposed dad. Steve invites this possible son to join his crew and hunt the unidentified shark down to make up for lost time. Steve all along is having troubles with his wife (Angelica Huston) and competing with his arch nemisis (Jeff Goldblum) who also had an affair with each other. As Steve starts his final journey to find the shark that killed his best friend he takes on a reporter (Cate Blanchett) who is pregnant and newly single that wants to do a puff piece on Steve Zissou. The reporters arrival on the ship sets up a competition between Steve and his son over who can win her over even though she explicitly turned down Steve and embraced Ned (Steve's son). Meanwhile, the crew, really a group of losers and unpaid interns seeking college credit try and keep up with all the antics and problems there captain Steve Zissou gets them into. The race is on for the shark because the money is running out and everyone feels more intensley the need to abondan Steve Zissou. As you can imagine the movie covers a wide spectrum of feelings and emotions in a very comical manner. Everything works out in the course of the journey. Even the shark is sparred when they ultimately find it.

Go out there and rent or purchase this movie! I'm serious...do it! Do it now!

Other info:
Wes Anderson's upcoming movie is Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Wes Anderson's second best movie (in my opinion) is Bottle Rocket
Owen Wilson's first movie was Bottle Rocket
Angelica Huston, Bill Murray, and Cate Blanchett will be in Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Wes Anderson tends to use many of the same characters in all of his films.
Cate Blanchett will be in the remake of Robin Hood alongside Russell Crowe

Everything is Illuminated

I am not starting with this movie because it is my favorite movie. I couldn't even name my top 5 movies if someone asked me to. So, don't read into the importance of the movies I post about due to their order in the blog. Anyway, onto the movie..."Everything is Illuminated".

I watched "Everything is Illuminated" last night. It is a great independent film from Warner Independent Pictures. It was directed by Liev Schreiber and starred Elijah Wood. It is a drama about a young Jewish man (Elijah Wood as Jonathan Safran Foer) who is a collector. He collects items about the members of his family. He goes on a journey to Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis during World War II. As he makes the journey through Ukraine to find the small Shtetl where his grandfather was raised and where they believe the woman who saved his grandfather still lives; Jonathan Safran Foer begins to understand more about himself and why he collects items. He also liberates his tour guide from years of guilt and helps his tour guide's family find their own roots. It is a moving story about overcoming guilt, finding yourself, and understanding your past.

This movie has some amazing scenery and some unbelievable actors. It definately pulls on the heart strings. However, Liev Schreiber mixed a sufficent amount of comedy into the movie to not make it overwhelmingly sad. Not so much comedy, though, to turn a serious subject into a joke. This movie is a winner in my book. Congrats to Liev Schreiber to have put together such an incredible movie at his first attempt at directing.

Don't forget to post what you think about this movie in the comments. If you haven't seen it yet, spend the $4.00 to rent it from the movie store.

Other info:
Jonathan Safran Foer wrote the novel that this movie was based on. He also wrote "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close".
Liev Schreiber is engaged to Naomi Watts and has two children with her.
Liev Schreiber will play Sabretooth in the new X-Men movie.
Check out Liev Schreiber in "Sum of All Fears".

The Beginning...The Why

I am into movies. I am rather new to the blog thing (I know, but I was living in a cave until recently). So, I am going to start this blog using a movie theme. I am sure with time I will branch into other areas.

I particularly enjoy independent film. I am not an independent film nut but I appreciate them. Most independent film seems to be an acquired taste to the masses. As such I have been asked numerous times why I enjoy independent film. My answer is simple. I don't need a mainstream Hollywood movie to tell me how to feel good. I don't need anything to tell me how to feel good. Now, how to deal with the tough things in life, I could always use some help. I appreciate independent film because it pursues the other feelings and emotions that mainstream Hollywood avoids, because those other feeling and emotions don't sell tickets like action movies and laugh out loud comedies. Now, before you accuse me of not enjoying mainstream Hollywood movies let me stop you now. I do enjoy them. I am just trying to explain why I enjoy independent film.

This blog will cover both independent film and mainstream film. Please feel free to leave comments. I love to hear what other people think about the movies I enjoy. Even if they are negative comments.

Well, all that is left is to...ENJOY!