Beating The Drum For: The Films Of Wes Anderson

We have a deep reservoir of affection for the films of Wes Anderson.

Since his emergence in 1996 with the film “Bottle Rocket,” a film which launched the prolific acting careers of Owen and Luke Wilson and heralded a return to form for James Caan, Anderson has made several tremendous films.

We understand that Anderson’s films may not be for everybody. As a screenwriter and filmmaker, Anderson tends towards the pretentious, and we can see how people might be overwhelmed by the stylistic quirks which dominate his films. He’s either your cup of tea or he’s not.

We happen to love Anderson for the way he uses music to underscore character interactions – whether it’s having Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray go to war in “Rushmore” to the tune of the Who’s mini-rock opera “A Quick One While He’s Away,” the tender entrance of Gwyneth Paltrow in “The Royal Tenenbaums” to the tune of Nico’s mournful version of “These Days,” or the surprisingly moving scene in the submarine as the crew of “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou” encounter the fabled jaguar shark to the tune of Sigur Ros’s “Staralfur.”

The trailer for Anderson’s newest film – the preciously titled “The Darjeeling Express” is online. Due in September, it features previous Anderson stars Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman, along with Adrien Brody, as three brothers who travel across India. We were lukewarm on this, until we saw the trailer…and damned if he doesn’t do it again. The song this time is “This Time Tomorrow,” by the Kinks, and combined with the beautiful cinematography – well, we can’t wait.