Life Aquatic

On Friday I saw Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

In case you are like what movie was that, it was the one with Bill Murray as a famous oceanographer/documentarian who has seen better days. A drunk, a stoner, a loser with a 'marriage' he vows to go on one more voyage to avenge the death of his best friend from the so called Jaguar shark that has never been identified previously. As well, Owen Wilson is in the movie as his possible son from a fling he had with a woman nearly three decades ago.

So basically that's the whole movie.

I had to discuss it because I found it very weird. I mean one of the things that bugged me was that the supporting cast. It included such people as Willem "Green Goblin" Defoe as Claus the German, Angelica Huston as the wife/girlfriend/brains, Jeff Goldblum as Hennessy the more successful oceanographer, the topless woman and a black dude who played the guitar and always wore his Zissou adidas kicks. They had really no character development. They were just standard stock characters that most junior high kids could have thought of.

Secondly, the way the movie was cut up in chapters. It was a linear plot so I found it slightly insulting that the director needed to break the movie up that way when it didn't need to be. If one thinks of Kill Bill, one can understand the need for chapters; however, it was not needed here.

Thirdly, laughs from me were forced. I wasn't sure if I felt sorry for Steve Zissou or Bill Murray at times.

The movie reminded me of The Royal Tennenbaums. Then I talked to Juliana and she pointed out that it was the same director (Wes Anderson). She said that his first movie Bottle Rockets, which Owen Wilson helped to co-write was his best movie.

So I think I'll give that one a try. If I dislike it, I will give up on his movies. Sorry Wes.