The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Director: Wes Anderson
Stars: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Cate
Blanchett, Willem Dafoe
Short Review, no spoilers
Wry postmodern kitsch is the dressing over a fond and
nostalgic tribute to awe-inspired TV childhood memory, as Wes Anderson presents
a flawed American version of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau in the character of
Steve Zissou. Zissou also has fans and a legacy but one that is as rusty and in
danger of sinking for good as the Belafonte research vessel he and his crew use
to career from one rickety adventure to another. 20 years old now and worthy of
an anniversary celebration.
Full Review (spoilers)
Diversity of public opinion is an important thing however,
sometimes the way in which it is divided is like a space oddity. For one who
has never been a member of the Wes Anderson fan club, this critic is
nevertheless a long-time lover of his 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve
Zissou starring Bill Murray. This apparently flies in the faces of those normally
more dedicated to Anderson output, with The Life Aquatic tending to be the
least favoured and ugly duckling of his oeuvre. Stranger still though, what
alienates this critic from appreciating Anderson’s style generally appears to
correspond exactly with what Anderson fans don’t like about The Life Aquatic,
namely that the film is burdened with arch, mannered acting and a style of
whimsical idiosyncrasy that is at best, hard to get, and at worst, annoying. Aquatic
has been accused of having no heart (?!), and yet this is precisely what I
think sets it apart.
Even Anderson regular Owen Wilson is gently likeable in a
performance that works well with Murray’s - as Ned, the potentially long-lost
son of Zissou, and half of a relationship that is strangely affecting and
ultimately even heartbreaking. Likewise is Ned’s romance with Cate Blanchett’s
Jane - another actor I have admittedly struggled to warm to until her turn in
Todd Haynes’ beautiful film, Carol - and there are yet more deftly performed
layers brought to bear by Anjelica Huston, her usual dignified and subtly
complex self in a role that hovers over all of the above and guides what goes
on between them. Here we can see the point of large, all-star casts
performing an intricate family set-up – actors successfully playing their parts
in a complex menagerie of related people – and less so a predictable roll call
that looks impressive on a movie poster.
The ever-versatile Willem Dafoe is hilarious in a rare
comedy role, and Bill Murray’s performance is a key one in his renaissance of
the late 20th century and in to the early 2000s. This era saw Murray
as more nuanced and less obvious; here he is the fool but one situated as a
post hippy Reaganite, a human hangover of a crossover period and now left for
dust. But for all his outdated flaws, Zissou is himself – maybe a pot-smoking
relic who can’t understand why journalist Jane won’t go to bed with him, but nevertheless
endearing, even inspirational, in his fallibility.
Overall, The Life Aquatic is a comedy with touches of dry
wit balanced with colours of retro and genuine sentiment, set design of
creative and loving detail, and action that features some surprising
adventures. Oh and a sublime soundtrack of David Bowie sung in Portuguese.
