Best Wes Anderson
 

Wes Anderson has made nine features to date with The French Dispatch, his tenth, scheduled for release this year. From the first nine which of his films is the favorite here at MoFo? Take part in the poll and feel free to drop your rankings as well.

Bottle Rocket
Rushmore
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Darjeeling Limited
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Moonrise Kingdom
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Isle of Dogs

Almost voted for Rushmore, but in the end went for Moonrise Kingdom. I enjoyed it slightly more than Rushmore, which was my favourite for years until I watched MK.


I still have to watch Bottle Rocket, Isle of Dogs and Fantastic Mr Fox, but I have enjoyed all his movies that I have watched.
I have to mention the Grand Budapest Hotel which is a gorgeous movie and shows Anderson at the peak of his powers.

Re: Best Wes Anderson
 

For me, it's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I'm not sure why, but it is, and I don't have to think about it too much, either.

Quick ranking:

1. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. Isle of Dogs
6. Rushmore
7. Moonrise Kingdom
8. The Darjeeling Limited
9. Bottle Rocket

I think Zissou is kind of in its own tier here, with the next two (Tenenbaums/Budapest) in a second tier. After that everything from Fox to Moonrise are pretty packed close, and odds are if I rewatched them they'd move around a little. But Darjeeling and Bottle Rocket are definitely the bottom two in some order, I think.

I'm not sure I could pick one as a favorite.

My tops from Anderson are Fantastic Mr. Fox and Grand Budapest Hotel.

I don't dislike any of his films (I've only not seen Darjeerling Limited).

It's been too long since I've seen many of his others to really rank them.

Despite liking his films, I do sometimes feel an emotional disconnect from his characters (especially in Rushmore). I appreciate his visuals and the intentionally-odd pacing/vibe, but I can see why others find it overly precious.


This also seems like an opportune place to post this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfDIAZCwHQE

I feel like I can't honestly vote as I haven't seen all of the Wes Anderson films yet.

I've only seen:
1 Bottle Rocket
2 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
3 Moonrise Kingdom
4 The Grand Budapest Hotel

I liked Bottle Rocket the best because it was the least 'Wes Anderson' like:p. His later movies tend to get to far afield, i.e. wacky for me. With that said I'd be happy to watch more of his films and I wish they'd get nominated in future HoFs.

I had not seen Bottle Rocket when it got its small release but I was lucky enough to see Rushmore at the Austin Film Festival in early October 1998. I happened to be among the very first audiences to screen it. It had premiered at the Toronto Film Festival a few weeks before and I think it hit the New York Film Festival within days of Austin. I was gobsmacked, madly in love. Wes Anderson has been one of my very favorite filmmakers ever since. For me nothing has topped Rushmore yet, though I love and appreciate all of them to varying degrees. Here are my rankings...

Re: Best Wes Anderson
 

Very well-made video about Anderson's visual style:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba3c9KEuQ4A

BTW, for any Wes Ander-fans, we have a Club:

Quirky As Cuss: The Wes Anderson Fan Club

The Clubs feature is just a small, mostly hidden option I haven't really decided how much I want to incorporate into the rest of the site. For now it'll just put a bunch of his stuff in one place and club memberships will show up on your profile.

Anything quirky I am in. Joined.

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Rushmore
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox
4. Isle of Dogs
5. Moonrise Kingdom
6. The Darjeeling Limited
7. The Royal Tenenbaums
8. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
9. Bottle Rocket

I voted for The Grand Budapest Hotel in the poll but it says I voted for The Darjeeling Limited. @Yoda can you fix that please?

Only seen three of his (Grand Budapest, Moonrise and Mr. Fox) so can't really vote but have liked all of them thus far.

I voted for The Royal Tannenbaums, but Rushmore was a very close second

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
   
3. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
4. The Darjeeling Limited
5. Moonrise Kingdom
6. The Royal Tenenbaums
7. Isle of Dogs
8. Rushmore

Very difficult though and there's probably not more than 1 popcorn (out of 5) between them for me. Some of them desperately need rewatching.

Haven't seen Bottle Rocket.

Re: Best Wes Anderson
 

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Moonrise Kingdom
3. Rushmore
4. The Royal Tenenbaums
5. Bottle Rocket
6. The Darjeeling Limited

Somewhat hit or miss director for me, first three I really like a lot, the others not so much.

Re: Best Wes Anderson
 

Only seven votes early, but evenly distributed. Not surprised. I don't imagine there is going to be that ONE title that jumps way out in from of the others. The symmetry is appropriate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq4sN2vqKq4

Currently The Grand Budapest Hotel is my favorite Wes Anderson.👍

Rushmore for me. I love them all though, nothing below a 4. He is my second favorite director and my second favorite Anderson.

Rushmore
Tennenbaums
Grand Budapest
Fantastic Fox
Moonrise
Bottle Rocket
Darjeeling
Life Aquatic
Isle Of Dogs

Re: Best Wes Anderson
 

Hubby and I saw Rushmore by accident, at a drive-in, when it was mostly first out. I think we were either still dating or newly engaged.

In fact, it wasn't the first movie on the billing, and I don't even remember WHAT we were actually there to see! I just remember that we decided to stay for the second movie because, well, what the heck? We'd already paid for it. We'd never seen anything like it and LOVED it. So, I think I voted for it mainly because it was my introduction to Anderson and his telltale style and quirkiness. I've enjoyed others just fine, but Rushmore will have that special place reserved for a first-entry type of experience of any sort.

There are still a few on this list that I have to see, so there's a slim chance one of those might edge out Rushmore, but I doubt it.

Life Aquatic
Royal Tenenbaums
Darjeeling Limited
Moonrise Kingdom
Rushmore
Grand Budapest Hotel
Isle of Dogs
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Bottle Rocket


Like many in the thread, I don't dislike any of them, so it's more of a question of wrestling all of love into an intuitive but arbitrary hierarchy. There might be a total half-point separating my ratings of the top six.


Life is top because it has the most Bill Murray. I like Murray in most things anyway, but this is his best performance.


Tenenbaums is terribly funny and one of the greatest vinyl soundtracks this side of Mean Streets. Probably the best litmus for Wes' style and humor.



A frequent glib dismissal of Wes is his focus on affluent ennui, the film criticism equivalent of "first world problems". Clearly that lacks empathy, and it's a shame that this criticism has most pointedly been used to pan Darjeeling, a film that, yes, is about three rich white brothers, but is also deeply affecting. Turns out money and class can't buy emotional security. Also, the "daddy's baggage" thing has been singled out a too-obvious symbolism, but that's kinda the point, how obvious it was the whole time.


Rushmore should maybe be a place higher, as I was also something of a Max in school, but Moonrise has more depth. Budapest is his most accomplished production, but not as personally resonant with me. His stop-motion films are wonderful and charming. Bottle Rocket is spare but inventive, and Owen Wilson's funniest role.


So what if Wes Anderson dresses like some kind of Dick Cavett guest?

Represent!