A Walt Disney Picture, Written by Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson, Directed by Wes Anderson.
Wes Anderson has a very particular style to his films, and you either like it or you don’t. I personally enjoy it, but I also wouldn’t say I consistently love the work he does, but this film was definitely a positive experience.
It has the usual quirky, pretentious, light tone that you come to expect from Anderson, and it does fit well with this specific story he is telling, and that is why it works well.
Gene Hackman is the absolute star and the reason the film is a success, with a leading performance of such class, humour, and occasional emotion, that he holds everything together, and also allows for the rest of the cast to be eccentric around him.
Everyone in the cast is good, with Gwyneth Paltrow and the Wilson brothers being the other particular stand outs for me. Paltrow especially with her vacant expression and stunning appearance here really work well with the character and world she exists in.
This isn’t one of Anderson’s best, but it also certainly isn’t his worst. Its an enjoyable comedy-drama with a great lead performance from an acting legend.
Rating =3.5/5