Bottlerocket

Watching "Bottle Rocket" is like finding the headwaters of the Mississippi-you know that something great will come out of this source, yet you know that you are only at the source, and not at the river. This movie has so much of what its director Wes Anderson would later perfect in "Rushmore" and (in my opinion) most effectively capture in "Royal Tennenbaums". What is it about Anderson's films that make him my favorite current director? A number of things come to mind, all of them on display in this movie, but are perfected later.

First, there is the attention to detail. There is a scene wherein Owen Wilson's character shows his partners in crime a map of the heist they are going to pull. The map is exquisite in its detail. It seems odd that a minor prop for this film would be so intricate. Welcome to Wes Anderson's world. This only becomes more apparent in "Rushmore", in which the protagonist is himself a director of plays. I can't help but think that the attention to detail that Max has toward his plays in Rushmore are a mirror image of Anderson himself.

Second, there is the self importance of the characters. There is a certain tone to a character in a Wes Anderson film that is hard to quantify, but it's always there. Here, this small time heist seems to be a life changing event to Owen Wilson's character, while Luke Wilson and the other accomplices seem to be along for the ride. That prima donna quality is shared by Anderson's protagonists (as well as other characters). With this comes passion and misplaced anger at times, which both lead to humor.

Third, there is always a sense that one is watching something very personal. In some ways, when one watches a Wes Anderson film, one feels as though they are watching a home movie. This is best on display here in "Bottlerocket", since so many of the actors really are family and friends (all of the Wilson brothers are in this movie, as well as friends of the Andersons). Many directors over the years have used the same actors over and over again, but I don't think any director has been this personal with using them. Even as Anderson began to be a more successful director and his casts became more star studded, the familial element still seems to be there.

Many people praised "Bottlerocket" to no end. I like it, but I feel that Anderson really came of age with "Rushmore" and perfected his work with "Royal Tennebaums." But the sleeping giant is fully on display here in this film. All of the angst, innocence, wonder, great soundtracks and closing slow motion shots we come to expect from this extraordinary filmmaker are here for the taking.