The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: 2004, dir. Wes Anderson. Seen at Alamo Village (Jan. 21).
The credits rolled at the end of The Life Aquatic and the theater lights came on and my boyfriend turned to me and said, “See, it is possible to make a movie with quirky characters that aren’t mean-spirited stereotypes.”
Many fans of Wes Anderson appear to be somewhat disappointed by The Life Aquatic. It does not contain as many of the arresting images that are so memorable in The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore, for example. On the other hand, unlike The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic has a stronger storyline. You can call it a narrative sellout if you want, but it was a more entertaining movie overall.