[bag_boy]

I like Wes Anderson movies in general, but I was unable to finish Asteroid City at home. It felt emotionally monotone. I probably need to go back and rewatch it.

Hope this one is a bit more exciting.

Rushmore is my favorite. The yearbook montage is awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMyh6ptegko

[ubermonkey]

Rushmore was my favorite of his films until the release of Moonrise Kingdom.

Fun fact: Rushmore was shot in an era without social media. All my film nerd pals were aware of Anderson after Bottle Rocket, and were tacitly awaiting his next film, but its ultimate arrival was a surprise. Even MORE surprising (at least for us) was that it was shot right here in Houston -- recognizably, obviously Houston. (I'm sure the St John's community was aware... )

Its release also solved a puzzle for my friend E. and I dating from the winter of 97-98. We'd stopped for sushi at a middling but reasonably priced joint between our rental house the bar we were headed to, and after posting up at the corner of the sushi counter and ordering a bit, we noticed the guy at the far end of the bar. He had a sort of admiring entourage with him of 2-3 younger folks.

The guy looked familiar, but we couldn't place him. Finally:

"Wow, that guy looks like Bill Murray."

"Yeah, he really does, doesn't he?"

"I think that might actually BE Bill Murray."

"What the hell is he doing in Houston?"

"No idea. Is there a tournament at the River Oaks club?"

We ate. We left. We forgot about seeing him -- until we saw Rushmore the following fall.

(In the unlikely event someone reading this knows Houston: this was at the Miyako that used to be just north of 59 on the west side of Kirby, so close to River Oaks.)

[ajkjk]

Data point for you: Asteroid City is my favorite, I've watched it like eight times now? and I could barely get through Rushmore.

All the commenters in here complaining that new Wes doesn't have what old Wes had.. Maybe they're missing what new Wes is doing? The newer movies are full of emotion, they're not monotone at all.

[bag_boy]

This is what I needed to rewatch it with a fresh mind. Thanks for taking the time to say this!

[kulshan]

I agree. While overall not my favorite, Asteroid City was definitely his most emotional impactful film for me.

[HelloMcFly]

I get that reaction, and Anderson’s style can definitely create a sense of emotional distance for some. Throughout this thread - and I want to jump in to so many comments - you can see it.

I found Asteroid City to be one of his most emotionally raw films. Beneath the precise framing and deadpan delivery that characterizes his work, the movie is wrestling with true grief, uncertainty, and the need to keep performing your role (in life, and in a metafiction sense, in the movie). This driving need is there even and perhaps especially when you don’t "understand the script", and when you feel isolated and other-ed.

The scene with Margot Robbie is the fulcrum of the entire movie, it’s brief, but devastating, and probably the most emotionally exposed Anderson has ever gotten. I think this scene is also in part in dialogue with the audience. If you ever do revisit it, I think there’s a lot simmering under the surface worth your time. But it's not my intention to try and convince someone to enjoy a movie that doesn't click for them.

[ctrlp]

The genius of Rushmore is inseparable from the collaboration with Owen Wilson and the autobiographical inspiration of their school days. Wes Anderson can never make another movie like it. His oeuvre since then is without charm for me.

[subpixel]

I agree but I think there's lots of charm, it's just that charming gets old.

[AlanYx]

I feel that his movies post-mid-career have been trending more and more towards an emotional monotone. That's more of an issue IMHO than the predictable artistic approach that people tend to focus on.

I haven't seen The Phoenician Scheme, but if it changes that then it's a positive sign.