Main content | Search | Section navigation menu | Site-wide navigation menu

Main menu

 
 
 

Aro Recommended Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The

 

USA 2004, 118 minutes
Dir. Wes Anderson
Rating: [M]
Genres: Comedy / Black Comedy

 

Aroview: Another snorkle into the 'Cinema Absurd with Wes Anderson', delivering an intricate comedic conceit woven around a washed-up oceanographer (Murray), modeled on Jacques Cousteau, in queasy midlife crisis mode and seeking the legendary jaguar shark who devoured his partner many years before.

Aboard his vessel 'Belafonte' (complete with sauna and yellow submarine), the woolly-capped, waffling Murray must also contend with a gaggle of eccentric shipmates, including usual suspects like Wilson and Huston, and enganging newcomers to dir. Anderson's universe like Blanchett. Unfolding its whimsy in scubadive slow-motion, this revels in choreographing its gags inside a complex 'cutaway' set of the ship, while a plethora of CGI-ed underwater creatures adds a touch of genuine wonder.

Although Murray provides an always watchable centre to proceedings, this is if anything even more random than its predecessor THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, more comic artifact than comedy. Highly recommended for Anderson fans and the curious alike, but non-fans best not take the dip.

Adopt-a-Movie Kindly Adopted by Tony Booth

Member Reviews

Average rating 4 stars. (Very Good) (Very Good). Showing 1-3 of 3 member reviews.

Have your say  Reviewing Films

 

Close Relatives

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The cover
Rental
DVD (R4) $6 Rent
Purchase
DVD (R4)
As New (out-of-print)
$19.95
$14.95
Buy

Prices in $NZD (incl. GST)

Your basket is empty