I honestly believe that one of the greatest comedy movie actors of all time or at least in the last 30 to 40 years is Bill Murray (Ghostbusters). Every decade, he surprises us with how relevant he continues to be with every film that he stars in and that is the case with today’s film The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Steve Zissou (Murray) is a world famous oceanographer who has produced great documentaries of his voyages over the years. After one production, his partner Esteban (Seymour Cassel) is killed by a mysterious shark called the Jaguar Shark. The public questions the existence of the shark, so Steve gathers up a crew that includes his estranged wife, a man who is quite possibly his son, and a pregnant reporter who has a low opinion of him along for the ride. The film stars Owen Wilson (Zoolander 2) as Ned Plimpton, Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) as Klaus, Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) as Jane Winslett-Richardson, Anjelica Huston (The Adams Family) as Eleanor Zissou, Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) as Alistair Hennessey, Michael Gambon (Gosford Park) as Oseary Drakoulias, Noah Taylor (Edge Of Tomorrow) as Vladimir, Seu Jorge (City Of God) as Pele, Robyn Cohen (Burned) as Anne-Marie, Waris Ahluwalia (The Grand Budapest Hotel) as Vikram, and the film was directed by Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom).
I definitely have to check out more films from Wes Anderson cause he definitely has his own style of films that you instantly recognize as his. He is in part the true definition of what François Truffaut and his colleagues coined Auteurs. Wes wrote and directed the film meaning he took full artistic responsibility for the film like an author would for a book. The thing that made me fall in love with this film was the various tones and colors that are present in this film. There are just so many colors that take precedence in this film that makes it truly amazing. Even the wildlife that are presented in the film are very colorful and cool looking even though we know that they are fake. This is probably one of the most amazing films to feature Bill Murray and it was just so well written that he was a natural fit for the part. All of the subplots within the film were even written so well that it was hard for me to find any faults. The film isn’t your typical comedy because it doesn’t contain stupid comedy or slapstick comedy, but it is otherwise a parody tribute to French diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The film may have bombed in the box office, but that doesn’t mean that the film is awful, it just means it takes time to recognize real art. I am a huge fan of this film and I think that this is one to put on your list. That is why I am going to give the film The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou an A- because the production sets and the story was excellently done.
I am a huge fan of independent filmmaking for the reason that I feel you are allowed to be more creative then if you were working for a big studio. I also feel that sometimes Indie films can be better and that is why I chose to watch Band Of Robbers for today’s film. Band Of Robbers re-imagines our classic tale of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by making them adults and bringing them to today’s world. Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) is a bumbling cop who can’t seem to let go of the idea of buried treasure that he and Huckleberry Finn (Kyle Gallner) have been chasing since they were kids. Finn has just been released from prison and is looking to go straight until Tom convinces him that the treasure is still out there. The two will embark on one heck of adventure that we surely will not forget even if it means breaking the law! The film also stars Matthew Gray Gubler (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou) as Joe Harper, Hannibal Buress (Daddy’s Home) as Ben Rogers, Melissa Benoist (Supergirl) as Becky, Daniel Edward Mora (Harsh Times) as Jorge, Stephen Lang (Avatar) as Injun Joe, Eric Christian Olsen (Fired Up!) as Sid Sawyer, Johnny Pemberton (21 Jump Street) as Tommy Barnes, and the film was directed by Aaron Nee and Adam Nee.
As far as the film is concerned, I actually thought that the film was very enjoyable to watch. It wasn’t one of those films that was laugh out loud funny, but rather that it was an enjoyable to watch kind of funny. A lot of the content in the film was kind of predictable at times, but you didn’t mind that with this film. I loved how they divided things up into chapters, but sometimes the titles of the chapters kind of gave away what was going to happen in that sequence. Kyle Gallner in my opinion is an underrated actor who doesn’t get enough credit which is just my opinion like I said. I thought he was terrific, but the real star of the show was definitely Adam Nee who kind of plays this guy who is unwilling to let go of his childhood because what was going to be a great moment then escaped him. So, he has a hard time letting that go because he is afraid of regret even if it means getting his friends in trouble along with him. That is essentially the element that I loved about this film because we all sort of hang on to something that we didn’t get to accomplish because we were forced to grow up. Well maybe not all of us! Hannibal Buress is awesome, Matthew Gray Gubler was a great addition to the team, and Stephen Lang was great as the infamous protagonist Injun Joe. The film is available right now on Netflix as we speak and I think it’s worth checking out. That is why I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.
For today’s film, I wanted to go international because sometimes foreign films are more gritty and exciting than American films. A friend of mine had told me about the film City Of God and said it was a must see. The film follows two children from the slums of Rio de Janeiro named Rocket and Lil Dice that take two completely different paths in life. For Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), all he ever wanted to do was to become a photographer as a hope of getting out of the slums known as the City Of God. For Lil Dice (Leandro Firmino) all he ever wanted to do was to become the crime kingpin of the City Of God. The film follows their every move including the triumphs, setbacks, and tragedies associated with their lifestyle choices. The film also stars Phellipe Haagensen (A Thousand Pardons) as Benny, Jonathan Haagensen (City Of Men) as Shaggy, Matheus Nachtergaele (Shades Of Sin) as Carrot, Seu Jorge (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou) as Knockout Ted, Alice Braga (Elysium) as Angelica, Maurício Marques (Carandiru) as Melonhead, Darlan Cunha (City Of Men) as Steak And Fries, Karina Falcão as Shorty’s Wife, Gero Camilo (Man On Fire) as Shorty, and the film was directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund.
First things first when it comes to talking about this film and that is if you can stand watching a film with subtitles then by all means go for it. If you can’t then turn around because it goes fast. I loved the style of the movie where it starts as a certain point, then it turns back to the beginning, works it’s way back to that point in the beginning of the film. It’s like it gives you a backstory so that you understand how our protagonist got to that point. The film is very gritty and it shows you the desperation that comes from living in the slums and it kind of wakes you up to the madness that happens in other parts of the world. The film goes to show you how appealing power and money are when you come from nothing and are desperate for something like so many people were. The film from what I read is loosely based off of the true story of the gang wars of the suburb of Rio known as the City Of God which is the other factor that made this film so appealing to me. The acting is great and the sets are really fantastic. You really feel like you are plunged into the heart of the slums with the characters like you are in the thick of it.There is a lot of violence and language so viewer discretion is advised. This is as good as it gets for foreign crime dramas so if you’re a fan check it out because it’s on Netlfix right now. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.
365moviesin365dayschallenge 