I’ve always been intrigued, but never got around to any of his films. They seem to have a very unique “flavour”, like I can almost taste his style, which I find really interesting.
Should I start with Bottle Rocket and go through by release date, or is there a recommended film to start with?
As someone who’s watched all Wes Anderson films as they were released and gone back over the years to rewatch them, my opinion is that Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums are his best 2 films. I think out of those two Royal Tenenbaums is the fan favorite, but the more I watch Rushmore, the more I’m starting to think it’s the better of the two overall. Jason Schwartzman, the lead actor, was 16 when it was filmed and he absolutely owns the role.
A lot of people, including myself, are starting to think Anderson is going a little overboard on the “quirkiness” factor in his newer films. I still think they’re good. I just think the focus on the quirkiness is detracting from character development and soundtrack and story overall.
Grand Budapest is one of the “newer” ones that captured the vibe of the older movies. Still don’t like it as much as Rushmore or Tenenbaums, but it was up there. The Life Aquatic is somewhere in between the new and old eras. I’ve always enjoyed it. The talented cast kind of helped save the story a bit on that one.
Generally speaking, I’d say go from old to new. You can maybe skip Bottle Rocket (his first) until later as it’s kind of its own experimental first movie before he found his niche.
Anderson is a love him or hate him director. I’ve always found his films unique and fun. A breath of fresh air.
No mention of Moonrise Kingdom!? I finally got around to watching Asteroid City recently and enjoyed it