Rushmore (1998)

I've heard a lot of good things about Wes Anderson's Rushmore over the years but, for some reason or another (I can't recall any of those at the moment), I never checked it out. 

The film follows Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a nerdy, precocious 15-year-old kid who earned a scholarship to the exclusive prep school Rushmore, where he is not doing very well in any of his classes as he doesn't bother to study and spends all of his time enjoying (too) many extracurricular activities. His life takes an unexpected turn as he befriends a depressed middle-aged local industrialist, Herman Blume (Bill Murray), and falls for a recently widowed teacher, Ms. Cross (Olivia Williams). 

If you like your films with a plot, you should probably stay away from Rushmore as its plot is almost non-existent. There are just a lot of events happening kind at random and it's kind of hard to understand why they are happening, but just like any other Wes Anderson movie I've seen (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Hotel Chevalier, which is a short film, are the only I haven't seen yet), a plot doesn't have to be that complex nor doesn't have to make a lot of sense to be compelling and captivating, and Rushmore is both. 

One of the many reasons for that is the characters. Once again, Anderson, with the help of his co-screenwriter Owen Wilson (fun fact, they wrote the screenplay to Rushmore way before they made their debut with Bottle Rocket, did you know that?), brought to the screen quirky, intriguing and developed characters that may not be realistic and may not be instantly likable, but you'll end up loving anyway despite their many flaws.

Buena Vista Pictures

Max, who is introduced in a very nice way with clips of him in all the many clubs he has either joined or founded at Rushmore, is beautifully delivered by Jason Schwartzman who, in his debut, brings to the character some kind of arrogant, lazy and yet charming presence that fits Max like a glove. His performance may not be Oscar worthy but it's definitely believable. Bill Murray is great as always as Max's adult friend, Herman, a disillusioned man in search of a home, doing a good job both as the good guy and the villain. Olivia Williams too does a really nice job as she probably is the only one who brings to the film a very appreciated human presence.

The humour is great as always. It's dark, witty, subtle and offbeat and Anderson finds a great balance between that and the drama, making of Rushmore a film that is both funny and touching. 

Bottle Rocket (1996)

Having seen all of Wes Anderson most recent films, and having adored every single one of them, I decided to check out the rest of his filmography, starting with Bottle Rocket, his debut.

The film follows a group of friends who decides to rebel against the norms of everyday life to pursue a career of professional criminals. After Dignan (Owen Wilson) rescues Anthony (Luke Wilson) from a voluntary mental hospital, they convince their friend Bob (Robert Musgrave), who has a car, to join them and rob a library. After successfully pulling off the heist, they hide out in a roadside motel where the group of friends eventually breaks down and things take a turn for each one of them.

The plot doesn't have a lot of substance --actually, it's so thin I'm not even sure it's got a point-- and it's a little all over the place, but, as the story unfolded, I was immediately hooked and I could not take my eyes off the screen. I even loved the clichéd, slow and yet rushed romantic subplot involving Anthony and a non-English speaking Mexican maid (Lumi Cavazos) that doesn't go absolutely anywhere.

It's okay though as Bottle Rocket is actually a character study. Just like any other Anderson movie, the film has quirky and dysfunctional characters. They are deep but not complex, they are simple me with simple desires, three men who are just trying to live out their dream. They are unbelievable and believable at the same time; they are three losers but they are so charming and interesting you can't help but love them.

It also helps to have actors who perform very well, and Bottle Rocket has them. Both Luke and Owen Wilson give extraordinary and inspired performances, the first as Anthony, an honest, innocent but not naive man who is searching for himself, the latter as Dignan, a confident wannabe master thief. And the chemistry between the two of them, oh man, it is on fire!

Columbia Pictures

The film also includes strong performances from James Caan as Mr Henry, Dignan's former boss at a landscaping company as well as the leader of a gang of master-thieves, and Lumi Cavazos as Inez, the maid Anthony fall in love with --she is so lovely and has such a nice chemistry with Luke Wilson, you get really sucked into the romance. The standout, however, is Robert Musgrave as Bob, a depressed and quite pathetic rich kid.

At last but not least, the humour. It is so subtle and ironic. I'm pretty sure I missed some of it --not a problem though as I'm planning to rewatch this as soon as I've seen the rest of Anderson's filmography-- and yet it was incredibly hilarious. At times I found myself laughing and I didn't even know why.

Oh, shoot, I almost forgot to mention the cinematography. It is sometimes amateurish and far from the beauty of Anderson's later work, but it's still charming and adds to the story.