In the wake of his latest film, The French Dispatch, I could have payed homage to one of my favorite directors by writing an “I watched every Wes Anderson movie so YOU don’t have to” article, but if I am being honest with you, dear reader, you really do have to watch them. Maybe not all of them, he might not be your thing, in which case that’s fine, we just don’t have to be friends (kidding… a little). Wes Anderson is an easy target, and I do understand the arguments against his movies. But at the end of the day, I am a sucker for a classic auteur-style filmmaker; and if nothing else, Wes Anderson is that.
For as long as I can remember, I have been a huge film buff. I like basically all movies. Any genre, any time period, any language. My taste ranges from atrociously cheesy “horror” to the highlights of the Nouvelle Vague. I am just as happy to watch Sharknado for the 10th time as I am to pick apart the works of Jean-Luc Godard. I don’t believe in limiting myself, because life gives you the gift of a diverse array of cinematic masterpieces. And, quite frankly, I think discussing why Sharknado is a cinematic masterpiece is far more engaging than some film major shaming me for not catching something in some Indie film he just really understands on a spiritual level. During a conversation with that same film major, or one of his equally pretentious cohorts, he might attempt to belittle my obviously inferior taste by saying, “Oh, and bet you just love Wes Anderson.” Well you know what, Paul? I do. I really freaking love Wes Anderson.
There is a sort of shame around citing Wes Anderson as one of your favorite directors. Hopefully, given my anecdote about Sharknado, you understand that I think being ashamed of things you like because they’re deemed too unsophisticated, shallow, or mainstream is stupid. If a movie makes you feel good, tell me about it, because it will make you even happier to share it with someone, and I will have a heck of a time watching your eyes light up as you describe it to me. Shame really has no place in a conversation about movies that make people happy. Unless of course, their film of choice is Human Centipede, in which case, definitely shame them for that. However, they probably won’t care, because they are probably a psychopath. Anyway, I digress. Back to what I was actually trying to write about: Wes Anderson.
I think Anderson is viewed by many film junkies as the training bra of directors. His movies are objectively good, but they exist to serve the purpose of beginning your “film-loving- journey.” He is mainstream enough to be picked up by anyone with curiosity and a streaming service, but artsy enough to make you feel like you are seeing the world through a new lens. His style is so prevalent throughout his filmography that he is easy to caricature, and the stories he deals with are often similar in theme. The thing is though, this doesn’t matter, because it doesn’t change the fact that every frame of every Wes Anderson movie is appropriate to hang in a room as art. Wes Anderson ties the absurdity of his worlds to the biting reality of our own in a way that makes me want to fall in love with life again. Every time I finish one of his films, I get up feeling a little more empowered to value the beauty around me. It is hard to deny that his narratives aren’t captivating, that the aesthetics of his films don’t make you want to crawl through the screen and become one with the sets. Wes Anderson movies embody the human desire for adventure, for connection, for understanding. Even if the movie is about foxes, or dogs, or writers (see what I did there?).
Wes Anderson makes you think, but not so hard you want to throw up, like Ari Aster or Harmony Korine. Don’t get me wrong, I love them too, but after a hard day, when I am feeling particularly nostalgic or homesick, there is nothing like Bill Murray playing a has-been marine documentarian to make me feel okay again. The worlds he creates hold beauty I make an effort to find in my own life, the same beauty I hope to capture when I pull out my phone to take a picture of something I am hoping not to forget about. Wes Anderson movies make me feel like I travel the world with an old-fashioned suit case in some color-schemed outfit discovering my sense of self and developing my archive of memorable interactions. Wes Anderson blends fantasy with the everyday, and makes me feel like I don’t have to live my life dictated by pragmatism.