The Life Aquatic

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
That's what bothers me, there's some odd double implication that you're supposed to recognize the irony, but appreciate the "real life" crisis he's presenting. (Notice I didn't use the word "pretention" this time. Go me.)

There is no division in the irony. The genius of his movies is that they are totally involved in their own world and their is no pretension that their 'life' is not 'real life'.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
Then there's the labelling. "Comedy"? Wes Anderson's got a totally different style, just call it a MOVIE. So many elements of his stuff are so subtle, it seems like they won't go recognized unless you can totally relate to everything that's said. "Royal Tenenbaums" being one of the most ostentatious films I've ever seen, with the most subtle humor I've ever heard, and the most depressing scenarios I've ever seen just put me over the edge! This is supposed to be entertainment?

Subtle comedy is still comedy, it's just that it's subtle....Hence the term, 'subtle comedy'. Personally, I don't find recent Adam Sandler movies very funny, but they are still labelled 'comedy'...

People like myself still think in the traditional sense of the word, but it doesn't stick for Wes Anderson films, nor any other quirky little "comedies". I never thought of comedy really having any subdivisions in the root sense, other than "dark" comedy, which is, if anything, what *I* would categorize this particular movie.

I finally managed to purchase a copy of 'The Life Aquatic' today! It's a charming, warm, funny, strange and melancholy movie. Bill Murray is excellent - as usual - but the movie is stolen by Willem Defoe. He doesn't say much, but his physical comedy is perfect. The look he gives through the peep-hole after his 'furious' exit is hilarious.