From ‘Bottle Rocket’ to ‘Moonrise Kingdom’: Ranking the Films of Wes Anderson

This one almost climbed into my top four after watching it a second time, but along with my #4 pick (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), these two films sort of settle right in the middle of Anderson’s filmography. The Darjeeling Limited is a film that doesn’t necessarily play well the first time you watch it. It’s a bit out there and gives off the impression that it might not be complete and I was surprised at how much I laughed watching it again.

I love the opening sequence featuring Bill Murray, running to get on the train only to be passed by Adrien Brody who eventually makes it, leaving Murray at the train station. To that point we had only seen Murray, rushing through the streets trying to get to his train on time. You’d think it was his story we were about to follow. I like to think his was the story we were meant to follow, but he was too old and out of shape and couldn’t make the train whereas Brody’s Peter could. So, instead of hanging around with the joker that couldn’t make it, Anderson follows the guy that could.

In these terms I look at Darjeeling as a happy accident. A story you can’t really believe someone felt was worth telling, but that just might be because Anderson didn’t mean to tell it. The joy is in seeing it told a second time and settling in with what you now understand to be the story fate decided we would hear.

My appreciation for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou comes out of seeing Anderson’s two later films — Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom — both of which seem as if Life Aquatic was a jumping off point for their existence. As such, my growing appreciation for Life Aquatic came more after watching not only it, but Fantastic Fox and Moonrise and seeing elements of Anderson’s storytelling here in those films. That, and watching it again, as part of the continued marathon, I found myself growing increasingly immersed in Anderson’s world and reaching a certain level of comfort I never expected.