I really like nearly all of Wes Anderson’s work. I heard someone say this was like Wes Anderson trying to make a Wes Anderson movie… and I agree. Not that that’s a bad thing, but things can often come across a little cheesy when someone knowingly “turns it up to 11” so to speak.
Also, it felt like this was (perhaps arguably) Anderson’s most “meta” film. Again, not terrible, but also very on the nose and not very subtle.
All said, I do feel like I would like to watch it a few more times before really cementing where I put it among Anderson’s other work. Right now it’s probably mid-tier for me.
Love to hear other people’s thoughts.
I think it demands not just an awareness of Wes Anderson films, but also 1950s and 1960s era stage productions. Think Harold Pinter or Samuel Beckett.
If you’re thrown by the inherent weirdness of Waiting For Godot or Happy Days, this is not the film for you.
https://youtu.be/izX5dIzI2RE
https://youtu.be/L5vhQ4d_KMI
I’ll check those out.
I guess the...
…vibe of the b&w “behind the scenes” parts where it was an acting class …
…reminded me of some spoken word thing I saw years ago on late night public access tv in a small western Pennsylvania town.
I could have sworn it was Tom Waits doing a one man show, but I had also had a few adult beverages when I saw it. A quick search says maybe it was “Frank’s Wild Years”. Looks like that was from the late 80s, but who knows it could have been hearkening back to 50s and 60s style stage productions.
EDIT: I’m now thinking it was just a recorded performance of the Tom Waits album Foreign Affairs