Bottle Rocket

The first and weakest of Wes Anderson's films, Bottle Rocket, is by no means a weak film. Co-written by then credited Owen C. Wilson, the screenplay is very intelligent and shows how the screen writing duo (Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson) has evolved. Starring the Wilson brothers, Owen and Luke Wilson, this small-budget comedy has what most large budget comedies lack, a perfect mix of drama and comedy. The film, about two friends that both were patients at a mental ward, portrays how innocent fun can sometimes hurt people. Rocket never becomes over-dramatic or slapstick in its comedy. It is clear that Anderson was experimenting with his style, and would not perfect it until his next film, Rushmore. The characters are clearly dysfunctional and like to take unnecessary risks at their own expense to make the script move along. This is not a fault in the script, but a blessing as this keeps the comedy and serious moments perfectly balanced. The cinematography is sometimes amateur with its unnecessary close-ups and wide angle panning. The soundtrack, done by Mark Mothersbaugh is excellent and just proves why he has worked an all of the subsequent films with Anderson. It seems Anderson and Wilson have an enormous talent when writing dialog for unusual, anomalous characters. This film is a testament to the fact that a good script, and a working knowledge of film work can create an original and enjoyable film.

In all honesty, the plot is awfully muddled I couldn't even figure out what it is about, and it keeps going off at a tangent frequently with all its twists and turns until it becomes almost entirely obfuscated by the end. But seeing whip pans, dolly-tracking shots, overheads of perfectly placed props and profile shots among others that would later become Wes Anderson's visual trademarks is oddly satisfying and special in its own way. Sure they seem half-ripe and lacking in the tantalizing aesthetic quality that define the look of Anderson's films, but they are all there and as effectively and perfectly employed as in the auteur's most acclaimed efforts. And the same can be said about the hodgepodge of evocative music choices. Madcap and slapstick moments are present as well. What truly piqued my attention, and gripped me throughout the hour-and-half runtime, are the warmth of friendship between the lead duo (played by Luke and Owen Wilson) and spirit of camaraderie between the three pals that, alongside the plotline revolving around Anthony's romance with a hotel chambermaid, give the movie a feel that's at once tender, free-wheeling and delightfully charming tending to make one think of John Hughes. Whilst the attempts at making a caper story with a light-hearted approach are worthy of appreciation, I think it's fair to say that it is the weakest link here. Still, Bottle Rocket is a small-scale joyride and a confident debut for one of the most idiosyncratic filmmakers working today.

I'm fairly cool on Anderson's later projects. But this one is pretty perfect.

I watched it with another film of this type and in a week with several others. Possibly the only way to make these things work is to find a new chink, a new layer between goofiness and endearing reality to invent. I say invent rather than depict because its all about where we place ourselves; if we can place ourselves new, that's usually enough to be effective, to connect.

A large part of why this works is because it works toward an end that fails. Many movies are not about what we experience but what we remember, and the deal with this one is that we are left with someone who topples from any workable awareness. It reinvents that place where we are balanced throughout the movie. Even knowing the later films, I never wondered that this would end badly because the tone follows such a well established path, that one I've noted elsewhere. As with "Legally Blond," there's a notion that earnestness will overcome inadequacies in all other life skills.

One of the political parties in the US has appropriated this, so in a way this can be considered as a political movie.

That last look is what this is all about, just as that first look of Jack Nicholson's in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

I came to this in part because of Owen's suicide attempt: it adds context that matters.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

I find it really hard to explain to people why I think Wes Anderson movies are so great. There's an air about them that's so wonderful and I always feel really great after I've watched them. When I tried to explain my friend said, "a bit like the Big Lebowski?" and I think that's the closest you can come to describing Bottle Rocket and Wes Anderson movies as a whole they're that sort of brand of movie.

Bottle Rocket is the story of three guys who live in the suburbs who are trying to become criminals and not making a very good job of it. The film starts with Anthony (Luke Wilson) coming out of a voluntary rehab type place and instantly joining his friend Dignan in his very poor attempts to become some sort of criminal. They are joined by their friend Bob, because he has a car, and start by robbing a library. The film really emerges from that moment and takes you on this up beat, weird (but wonderful) adventure.

Owen and Luke Wilson are really good together, with Owen Wilson probably stealing the show as the completely useless but very endearing Dignan. Bob, played by Robert Musgrave, is also excellent in his role as the lovable loser. The soundtrack is perfect, everything comes and goes at exactly the right moment.

This was probably one of the funniest films i've seen in a while too. If you like the Big Lebowski you will love this film (my favourite is probably "Anthony wake up, Bob's stolen his car"). It also feels a lot longer than it is and whilst that's usually bad, in this case it was fantastic. At 30 minutes I looked to see how long I'd been watching it for and was amazed at how engrossed I was but also how much happens but yet the film manages to feel really slow and relaxed.

Though I've said Dignan was endearing I guess the movie as a whole is endearing, its such a lovely film, I really don't see how you couldn't like it. Some how this just misses out on being a real classic on a level with Big Lebowski, maybe its because not as many people have seen it or something, either way its definitely in my top ten or top five or something. A must see, go and watch it!

The drifting, meaningless "hang-out" nature of this quirky, engaging crime/road/comedy flick is often fun and entertaining, and often far too meandering for its own good. Ultimately, what "Bottle Rocket" is about is confusion in both path and purpose, and this is clearly reflected in the spontaneity and energy of its central characters, their actions and their interactions. The film is perhaps overly reliant on its everyday dialogue and naturalistic, if not observably detached, relationships that give the film a documentary-like tone that perhaps doesn't work as an environment for typically Anderson-esque characters to inhabit. But this is Wes Anderson before Wes Anderson, which should be considered. As a debut feature, it's pretty darn good. Another potential problem is that the characters don't necessarily undergo any explicit character development over the course of the plot, but this isn't an overly serious issue as the stance can be taken that the whole point is that they don't learn and must continue to drift; on top of this, the greatest part of this otherwise average film is the fact that the characters don't actually need development, they are engaging and interesting enough to keep us hooked for a full 80 minutes with their dreams and moral callousness.