Today’s quick review: The Life Aquatic. Renowned oceanic explorer and documentary filmmaker Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) is suffering from a midlife crisis. His films have lost their luster, his funding is drying up, and his best friend was killed by a monstrous shark while filming Steve’s latest movie. With the help of his long-lost son Ned (Owen Wilson), a pregnant reporter named Jane (Cate Blanchett), and his romantic and professional nemesis Alistair Hennessey (Jeff Goldblum), Steve sets out to hunt down the shark that killed his friend.
The Life Aquatic is a quirky comedy adventure from director Wes Anderson. The Life Aquatic differs from Wes Anderson’s other work in its subdued humor, personal drama, and meandering plot. The story focuses on Steve Zissou, a filmmaker who has fallen on hard times, and his loyal crew. The twin impetuses of a flagging career and a dead friend drive him to embark on one last voyage to find the remarkable Jaguar Shark, an adventure that only gets rockier as it goes along.
Steve Zissou makes for an odd protagonist, a world-weary egotist clinging to the remaining tatters of his reputation. Zissou lives in a world of his own, from his oceanic voyages in search of exotic marine life to his personal island and fan club, painful relics of his glory days. He is capably acted by Bill Murray, who delivers a somber, understated performance in stark contrast with the lively, humorous roles of his youth.
The rest of the cast follows a similar pattern: familiar faces playing characters who are either odd or disaffected. Willem Dafoe plays Steve’s unusually loyal crewmate Klaus, Anjelica Huston his remote wife Eleanor, and Jeff Goldblum his bitter rival Alistair. The one exception is Ned, a sweet but not very bright man who wants to reconnect with his estranged father. His kind heart contrasts nicely with Steve’s selfishness, while his interactions with Jane are perhaps the most normal relationship in the movie.
Wes Anderson takes these elements and wraps them in a story that lacks a clear direction. The Jaguar Shark is the nominal goal of the story, but the incidents along the way are connected more by tone than any overarching plot. The dry, subtle comedy makes the characters harder to relate to than usual; they come off less offbeat than broken. The themes of the film are interesting, chief among them the phoniness of Steve’s life, but the core story drifts.
Still, The Life Aquatic is a creative and skillfully realized film that is worth a watch for curiosity’s sake. It does not crackle the way Wes Anderson’s other work does, but fans of the director are sure to get something out of it. The film’s unconventional world, subtle humor, and attention to detail are enough to make it interesting for the right kind of viewer. If you are not already a Wes Anderson fan, check out a few of his other films first.
7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for creativity and attention to detail held back by too-flat characters and an aimless plot.