Years ago, while sitting in a cinema and waiting for the movie to begin, the trailer of another movie began playing on the big screen. The visuals were spectacular, the characters seemed so interesting, the colours and sounds beaconed. I was spellbound and knew then that I had to watch the movie.
That movie was The Grand Budapest Hotel directed by Wes Anderson.
Now, I have a thing about quirky films. I absolutely adore them!
And which director better than Wes Anderson is there that makes them quirky film? A man who has probably dedicated his whole career towards making them. Do read Common Features in All Wes Anderson's Films if you wish to delve deeper into his films.
Wes Anderson creates his own world, his own characters and invites us, the audience to join him in it. You know his world is not real but you still very much want to be a part of that journey. Essentially because the human parts are all still very much there. The heart, the soul, the flaws...
If you are interested in experiencing Wes Anderson's world, this is my list of Wes Anderson's directed movies ranked in terms of their entertainment value. Do note that I enjoy all his films and so even though I have ranked them, they are all very good. If you are into such movies that is...
(At the time of writing The French Dispatch hasn't been released. Will update that movie in the list once it's released.)
1. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
I found Moonrise Kingdom to be the most entertaining of all his films. And so here it sits, at the top spot.
This movie has it all. A sense of adventure and a sweet love story. Dysfunctional people, boy scouts and an Island.
The premise is simple enough... Two young misfits in love with each other decided to run away to a remote section of the island. This triggers the whole town to put together a search party to locate them.
Sure, it is a film largely about kids. But it is not just for kids. If you have watched Wes Anderson's movies or even if you haven't, you will soon make the observation that the kids act like adult most of the time. Even more adult than the actual adult characters sometimes.
The pace of the movie is just right, maybe a little hurried towards the end. But it has just the right poetic touch. Mostly it's just a damn fun watch.
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Perhaps his most accredited and recognized film. I know it is very contentious to place this at second place and not first. But to me, Moonrise Kingdom was slightly more entertaining. Just a tiny bit more, mind you.
There is so much to recommend about this movie on its own. The set was glorious! Honestly, his movies have such stunning visuals and The Grand Budapest Hotel is perhaps the most glorious of them all.
Plus this has a bit of a suspense, murder mystery vibe to it, which is not really in a lot of his movies. He managed to create a suspenseful atmosphere very well. In the Wes Anderson style of course.
I remember feeling trepidation for some of the characters while watching this. Quite spooky actually. In a Wes Anderson style of course.
Monsieur Gustave H., concierge extraordinaire at the Grand Budapest Hotel, has been accused of murdering a regular patron of his hotel, a certain Madame D. Who happens to be very rich, in addition to being quite dead. Together with his most trusted lobby boy, Zero, he has to evade soldiers, the angry family of Madame D. and a very dangerous man to find the true murderer.
I have to say this is perhaps the most quirky of all his movies. And a very witty one at that. The conversations are really rapid and sometimes hard to follow. But that's alright. You don't have to understand everything all the characters say anyway.
I especially love how the relationships in the movies were portrayed. That of Gustave and Zero. Or Zero and Agatha. Even Gustave and his hotel patrons and staff. This movie truly has a heart too. Highly recommended!
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Wes Anderson's first stop motion animation film. A story by Roald Dahl and adapted for screen by Wes Anderson. It's amazing how he gets it so right even with this medium of storytelling.
It is one hell of an entertaining film about a certain Mr. Fox of course.
Tired of living a respectable life as a newspaper man since having kids, Mr. Fox decided to go back to his stealing ways. This doesn't sit too well with the humans from whom he stole and so they decided to hunt and exterminate him and his family.
What does Mr. Fox do then? Well, he is fantastic. So he does whatever it is he is fantastic at doing.
Also, if you have watched the movie, tell me your heart didn't skip a beat at the "Excuse me. May I cut in?" part. What a line man! Interjected so perfectly. I am in awe!
And that rat. What a character! Totally hilarious!
This movie is as slick as it is cool. Okay... Both words probably mean the same thing but you get my meaning. You don't wanna miss this one!
4. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
A story about a dysfunctional family, a common enough theme in Wes Anderson's basket of movies.
Well, here dysfunctional is a bit of an understatement. The Tenenbaums hardly meet and are distant from each other. Going about their own life until they happen to all end up living in the same house again.
Where they must confront the issues they have with each other. Where emotions rage higher than the high seas. What a riot!
This movie for me really shows the development of the characters by the end. They are each complex characters with real demons to deal with.
It is a little hard to put into words the complexity of the characters without going into more details. But let me put it this way. When it started, you can see the big pile of mess. As the movie starts wrapping up, the pile of mess is sorting itself out.
Probably one of my best Wes Anderson ending. But then again, he does them so well.
5. Rushmore (1998)
Rushmore is the name of the school that has its most enthusiastic student of all time, a fifteen year old boy Max Fisher. Max sounds like he has got it all figured out. He is in the school of his dreams. He is part of a gazillion clubs, most of which he either founded or chairs. Doesn't matter if he is not the brightest student there.
His life starts to change when he meets and falls in love with Miss Cross, the Latin teacher at school. Around the same time he develops a friendship with Bill Murray's character, who happens to be a rich industrialist and the father of a couple of his schoolmates.
I really enjoyed Rushmore. I don't always agree with the actions of the characters but it was fun just to sit back and watch the characters make a mess of their lives. Then slowly try to untangle that mess that they made.
And being a Wes Anderson film, of course the problems and characters are eccentric. I guess that's what makes the movie fun while it lasted.
6. Bottle Rocket (1996)
Wes Anderson's first big screen movie and perhaps one that is his least obvious works. By that I mean a lot of the trademarks that he is known for today are not yet properly developed here. But that doesn't mean it wasn't an enjoyable film.
In fact, it is one of his most out there hilarious films! Not the ones with dry humour that not everyone might get. Personally, I feel this one has a lot of heart in it. I felt for the characters. I was tickled by them. There were loads of funny dialogues. Truly, an entertaining film.
Luke Wilson's character having recently been released from a mental hospital gets reunited with his friend Dignan (Owen Wilson), who seems to be even more in need of the services provided by the mental hospital.
Together with their neighbour and friend Bob, they hatched a plan to rob a store before hitting the road and making off. Yup, sounds like an insane plan. With insane characters. But I guess it is also a movie about dreams and pursuing them relentlessly. About being different and that it is alright.
It is boyish. It is fun. And it's insane. But that is life.
I had to watch it a second time to truly appreciate it for the gem it is. I believe it was because I thought it was missing a lot of the common Wes Anderson features.
My advice, stop expecting a Wes Anderson film. You will enjoy this one much more that way. This, I feel, is a Wes Anderson's version of a feel-good movie.
7. Isle of Dogs (2018)
To be honest, it pains me to place this movie in this spot. Wes Anderson just has a lot of good movies that I appreciate. It is not so much that this film wasn't good but that the rest were slightly more entertaining.
Here is the premise of Isle of Dogs...
In a future set in the fictitious Megasaki City, Japan, canine saturation has reached its limit. Canine flu has become widespread among the dogs.
So what do they do? The city's mayor decreed that all dogs be banished to a wasteland, where they are to live away from humans. Not at all pleased that his dog is being taken away, a boy named Atari, nephew to the city's mayor, goes in search for his dog.
I have to say that once again Wes Anderson have given us another spectacular stop motion animation. Honestly, that sushi making scene was incredible and I actually kept watching it again and again after. Then to find out it actually took 8 months to put together! What a lot of time and effort. But here is one fan who appreciates the work.
And don't expect subtitles even when the characters are speaking Japanese. Even the theatrical release of Isle of Dogs didn't have them. You don't need them. Not really.
Yeah it's a little frustrating sometimes to not understand every word of every character but I promise, you won't be lost at any point.
8. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
A film set in India for the most parts. Three estranged brothers set out on a spiritual journey aboard the train, Darjeeling Limited, about a year after the death of their dad.
The oldest, played by Owen Wilson, is also secretly trying to locate their mother whom they have not seen in years. She didn't even attend the dad's funeral, imagine that.
You can just imagine how these men are, with such a family history. They behave like kids a lot of times. They don't know how to control their emotions. They are fighting all the time. They are a total mess. Now will they find their mother? And most importantly, themselves in the exotic land of India.
This movie was hard for me to rank as well. I truly enjoyed watching this and in fact have watched it a couple of times. The interaction between the brothers were stupid and hilarious. And honestly, just how siblings behave. Great chemistry between the actors.
I also enjoyed the exotic location, with a fine sprinkling of Indian culture. Though the bit about the train hostess and Jason Schwartzman. Seems totally unbelievable. Just saying.
Oh the short film, Hotel Chevalier is a sort of the prelude to The Darjeeling Limited. It is not necessary to watch it before though. I most certainly didn't.
9. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Just because this movie is in the last spot doesn't mean it wasn't a good movie!
I can't really say that Wes Anderson has any bad movie in his kitty. But this one just felt a little like it was going nowhere. Especially in the first half. There were many times when I found myself drifting off and then I return and find that I have missed nothing essentially. I could still follow the story.
Bill Murray plays Steve Zissou, an oceanographer who is on a quest to find the Jaguar Shark that ate his friend and partner. He teams up with his newly acquainted son, a less-than-impressed journalist, his ship's crew and a handful of unpaid interns.
The premise is interesting enough but bogged down by a slow first half. The second half of the movie is much better. The pace is picked up, more action is happening.
And no matter what we say about his films, Wes Anderson sure knows how to end off his movies. This one ended off pretty well.
**Well, there you have it. What do you think? Do you enjoy Wes Anderson's films and which is his best for you?
That movie was The Grand Budapest Hotel directed by Wes Anderson.
Now, I have a thing about quirky films. I absolutely adore them!
And which director better than Wes Anderson is there that makes them quirky film? A man who has probably dedicated his whole career towards making them. Do read Common Features in All Wes Anderson's Films if you wish to delve deeper into his films.
Wes Anderson creates his own world, his own characters and invites us, the audience to join him in it. You know his world is not real but you still very much want to be a part of that journey. Essentially because the human parts are all still very much there. The heart, the soul, the flaws...
If you are interested in experiencing Wes Anderson's world, this is my list of Wes Anderson's directed movies ranked in terms of their entertainment value. Do note that I enjoy all his films and so even though I have ranked them, they are all very good. If you are into such movies that is...
(At the time of writing The French Dispatch hasn't been released. Will update that movie in the list once it's released.)
1. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
I found Moonrise Kingdom to be the most entertaining of all his films. And so here it sits, at the top spot.
This movie has it all. A sense of adventure and a sweet love story. Dysfunctional people, boy scouts and an Island.
The premise is simple enough... Two young misfits in love with each other decided to run away to a remote section of the island. This triggers the whole town to put together a search party to locate them.
Sure, it is a film largely about kids. But it is not just for kids. If you have watched Wes Anderson's movies or even if you haven't, you will soon make the observation that the kids act like adult most of the time. Even more adult than the actual adult characters sometimes.
The pace of the movie is just right, maybe a little hurried towards the end. But it has just the right poetic touch. Mostly it's just a damn fun watch.
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Perhaps his most accredited and recognized film. I know it is very contentious to place this at second place and not first. But to me, Moonrise Kingdom was slightly more entertaining. Just a tiny bit more, mind you.
There is so much to recommend about this movie on its own. The set was glorious! Honestly, his movies have such stunning visuals and The Grand Budapest Hotel is perhaps the most glorious of them all.
Plus this has a bit of a suspense, murder mystery vibe to it, which is not really in a lot of his movies. He managed to create a suspenseful atmosphere very well. In the Wes Anderson style of course.
I remember feeling trepidation for some of the characters while watching this. Quite spooky actually. In a Wes Anderson style of course.
Monsieur Gustave H., concierge extraordinaire at the Grand Budapest Hotel, has been accused of murdering a regular patron of his hotel, a certain Madame D. Who happens to be very rich, in addition to being quite dead. Together with his most trusted lobby boy, Zero, he has to evade soldiers, the angry family of Madame D. and a very dangerous man to find the true murderer.
I have to say this is perhaps the most quirky of all his movies. And a very witty one at that. The conversations are really rapid and sometimes hard to follow. But that's alright. You don't have to understand everything all the characters say anyway.
I especially love how the relationships in the movies were portrayed. That of Gustave and Zero. Or Zero and Agatha. Even Gustave and his hotel patrons and staff. This movie truly has a heart too. Highly recommended!
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Wes Anderson's first stop motion animation film. A story by Roald Dahl and adapted for screen by Wes Anderson. It's amazing how he gets it so right even with this medium of storytelling.
It is one hell of an entertaining film about a certain Mr. Fox of course.
Tired of living a respectable life as a newspaper man since having kids, Mr. Fox decided to go back to his stealing ways. This doesn't sit too well with the humans from whom he stole and so they decided to hunt and exterminate him and his family.
What does Mr. Fox do then? Well, he is fantastic. So he does whatever it is he is fantastic at doing.
Also, if you have watched the movie, tell me your heart didn't skip a beat at the "Excuse me. May I cut in?" part. What a line man! Interjected so perfectly. I am in awe!
And that rat. What a character! Totally hilarious!
This movie is as slick as it is cool. Okay... Both words probably mean the same thing but you get my meaning. You don't wanna miss this one!
4. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
A story about a dysfunctional family, a common enough theme in Wes Anderson's basket of movies.
Well, here dysfunctional is a bit of an understatement. The Tenenbaums hardly meet and are distant from each other. Going about their own life until they happen to all end up living in the same house again.
Where they must confront the issues they have with each other. Where emotions rage higher than the high seas. What a riot!
This movie for me really shows the development of the characters by the end. They are each complex characters with real demons to deal with.
It is a little hard to put into words the complexity of the characters without going into more details. But let me put it this way. When it started, you can see the big pile of mess. As the movie starts wrapping up, the pile of mess is sorting itself out.
Probably one of my best Wes Anderson ending. But then again, he does them so well.
5. Rushmore (1998)
Rushmore is the name of the school that has its most enthusiastic student of all time, a fifteen year old boy Max Fisher. Max sounds like he has got it all figured out. He is in the school of his dreams. He is part of a gazillion clubs, most of which he either founded or chairs. Doesn't matter if he is not the brightest student there.
His life starts to change when he meets and falls in love with Miss Cross, the Latin teacher at school. Around the same time he develops a friendship with Bill Murray's character, who happens to be a rich industrialist and the father of a couple of his schoolmates.
I really enjoyed Rushmore. I don't always agree with the actions of the characters but it was fun just to sit back and watch the characters make a mess of their lives. Then slowly try to untangle that mess that they made.
And being a Wes Anderson film, of course the problems and characters are eccentric. I guess that's what makes the movie fun while it lasted.
6. Bottle Rocket (1996)
Wes Anderson's first big screen movie and perhaps one that is his least obvious works. By that I mean a lot of the trademarks that he is known for today are not yet properly developed here. But that doesn't mean it wasn't an enjoyable film.
In fact, it is one of his most out there hilarious films! Not the ones with dry humour that not everyone might get. Personally, I feel this one has a lot of heart in it. I felt for the characters. I was tickled by them. There were loads of funny dialogues. Truly, an entertaining film.
Luke Wilson's character having recently been released from a mental hospital gets reunited with his friend Dignan (Owen Wilson), who seems to be even more in need of the services provided by the mental hospital.
Together with their neighbour and friend Bob, they hatched a plan to rob a store before hitting the road and making off. Yup, sounds like an insane plan. With insane characters. But I guess it is also a movie about dreams and pursuing them relentlessly. About being different and that it is alright.
It is boyish. It is fun. And it's insane. But that is life.
I had to watch it a second time to truly appreciate it for the gem it is. I believe it was because I thought it was missing a lot of the common Wes Anderson features.
My advice, stop expecting a Wes Anderson film. You will enjoy this one much more that way. This, I feel, is a Wes Anderson's version of a feel-good movie.
7. Isle of Dogs (2018)
To be honest, it pains me to place this movie in this spot. Wes Anderson just has a lot of good movies that I appreciate. It is not so much that this film wasn't good but that the rest were slightly more entertaining.
Here is the premise of Isle of Dogs...
In a future set in the fictitious Megasaki City, Japan, canine saturation has reached its limit. Canine flu has become widespread among the dogs.
So what do they do? The city's mayor decreed that all dogs be banished to a wasteland, where they are to live away from humans. Not at all pleased that his dog is being taken away, a boy named Atari, nephew to the city's mayor, goes in search for his dog.
I have to say that once again Wes Anderson have given us another spectacular stop motion animation. Honestly, that sushi making scene was incredible and I actually kept watching it again and again after. Then to find out it actually took 8 months to put together! What a lot of time and effort. But here is one fan who appreciates the work.
And don't expect subtitles even when the characters are speaking Japanese. Even the theatrical release of Isle of Dogs didn't have them. You don't need them. Not really.
Yeah it's a little frustrating sometimes to not understand every word of every character but I promise, you won't be lost at any point.
8. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
The oldest, played by Owen Wilson, is also secretly trying to locate their mother whom they have not seen in years. She didn't even attend the dad's funeral, imagine that.
You can just imagine how these men are, with such a family history. They behave like kids a lot of times. They don't know how to control their emotions. They are fighting all the time. They are a total mess. Now will they find their mother? And most importantly, themselves in the exotic land of India.
This movie was hard for me to rank as well. I truly enjoyed watching this and in fact have watched it a couple of times. The interaction between the brothers were stupid and hilarious. And honestly, just how siblings behave. Great chemistry between the actors.
I also enjoyed the exotic location, with a fine sprinkling of Indian culture. Though the bit about the train hostess and Jason Schwartzman. Seems totally unbelievable. Just saying.
Oh the short film, Hotel Chevalier is a sort of the prelude to The Darjeeling Limited. It is not necessary to watch it before though. I most certainly didn't.
9. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Just because this movie is in the last spot doesn't mean it wasn't a good movie!
I can't really say that Wes Anderson has any bad movie in his kitty. But this one just felt a little like it was going nowhere. Especially in the first half. There were many times when I found myself drifting off and then I return and find that I have missed nothing essentially. I could still follow the story.
Bill Murray plays Steve Zissou, an oceanographer who is on a quest to find the Jaguar Shark that ate his friend and partner. He teams up with his newly acquainted son, a less-than-impressed journalist, his ship's crew and a handful of unpaid interns.
The premise is interesting enough but bogged down by a slow first half. The second half of the movie is much better. The pace is picked up, more action is happening.
And no matter what we say about his films, Wes Anderson sure knows how to end off his movies. This one ended off pretty well.
**Well, there you have it. What do you think? Do you enjoy Wes Anderson's films and which is his best for you?
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