Actors: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward
Director: Wes Anderson
It's been a long time since I've seen a 'new' Wes Anderson film - likely close to five years - and I think the layoff has energized me as well as him. I've forgiven his dollhouse aesthetics - Ozu has this fussiness about interior spaces, what's wrong with wanting to be precise? I've forgiven his unnecessary archness, and oversincerity cast as humor - a trait certainly on display in this film, but limited to the background. And I love his strengths here, as he invents a fake geography and literature (and I think new songs) as well for his world.
Most of all, I think Wes Anderson's aesthetic works best with children. All of his films feature children, but many of them are played by adult actors and are actually adults. These characters are children in that they haven't yet realized that the world isn't their playground, and that shooting for the moon and missing slightly isn't the end of the world. Awkward dialogue works for children, too, because children are awkward - I could see some of this film being laughed at in a theater, but I'm not sure I laughed once. That doesn't mean I didn't still enjoy myself.
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