Posted: 12/16/2004

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

(2004)

by Erin Paulson

The Life Aquatic continues Wes Anderson’s (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) trend of films that are seemingly comedies composed of realistic fiction, but include more fantastic and imaginative dream-like qualities in his characters and story than would be first expected. I love this quality in his films, particularly in Rushmore, and unsurprisingly, this is the most successful aspect of The Life Aquatic. Bill Murray plays the title role of oceanographer Steve Zissou, and most of the rest of the cast rounds out his crew of documentary filmmakers, Team Zissou. We are introduced to the crew as Zissou’s best friend is brutally killed by a rare kind of shark, and the team embarks on a revenge mission to kill the murderous sea creature.

I must say that the casting was some of the most appropriate I have seen in a movie all year. Honestly there wasn’t a single performance or casting in the entire film that didn’t seem as if the role was made for the actor playing it, which definitely adds some points. I have made no qualms about the fact that I adore Cate Blanchett, and she didn’t let me down in her role as reporter Jane Winslett-Richardson. She is one of my favorite actresses, and her presence on screen definitely helped me appreciate The Life Aquatic more. If she had not been cast I don’t know if I could have tolerated seeing Owen Wilson on the screen so often, although I admit that even he surprised me with the adequacy of his performance. Willem Dafoe was wonderfully entertaining as usual, and who doesn’t love Bill Murray?

Another thing Anderson has going for him with this film (as well as his others) is his uncanny ability to choose ideal music for whatever is happening in this story, a talent he shares with the brilliant Quentin Tarantino. There is one scene in The Life Aquatic that illustrates my point beautifully - the climax. A scene which probably would have been quite good regardless was suddenly so amazing that it almost redeemed the entire film for me, merely because of the music that Anderson chose to include - a song by the hauntingly gorgeous band Sigur Rós. That moment was pure soundtrack perfection. There’s also a running theme of David Bowie songs, which was much appreciated.

However, in my opinion, neither admirable quality made this film excellent.

I admit I have never really understood why Wes Anderson is so praised among my peers. Many view him as the contemporary director, along with the Coen Brothers (The Man Who Wasn’t There, O’ Brother Where Art Thou?). The latter I definitely understand - the Coens have the ability to mix genres so easily that it seems to be the most natural thing in the world. However, I do not believe that Anderson shares that ability. It’s not that I don’t appreciate what he’s trying to do - I think he’s quite a clever writer and director, and moments in his films are exceedingly enjoyable. The problem is that he never seems to make up his mind what he’s trying to accomplish with his films, and The Life Aquatic is no exception. I realize this technique is entirely purposeful - there is nothing thoughtless about his filmmaking process, and because of that fact, he warrants my respect. But just because this technique is deliberate does not mean I have to like it. Although I did enjoy this effort much more than his last, The Royal Tenenbaums (it wasn’t very hard to beat, in my eyes). I suppose there just always seems to be something so contrived about his storylines, something that makes me want to roll my eyes whenever something is happening that is meant to be taken seriously. I realize that element is also particular to his style of writing, but I decidedly do not see it as an attribute. Or maybe it’s just because I cannot bring myself to care about anything that involves Owen Wilson.

Either way, I merely enjoyed moments of The Life Aquatic. The film as a whole was pretty disappointing. I keep waiting for Anderson to step up to the plate and release something truly spectacular, as I know he can do, but sadly this effort was just not up to par in my book. However, if you are a Wes Anderson fan who adores everything he has ever touched, I’m sure this film will prove no different. If not, I definitely suggest that you buy the soundtrack - I’m sure it would be a much wiser investment of your remaining Holiday money.

Erin Paulson is a writer and artist in Chicago.

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