By Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com
‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’
Directed by Wes Anderson
Rated PG, 87 minutes
When Wes Anderson — one of my favorite directors — announced he was working on Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” I was hesitant. But I should have known that Anderson could create something magical while staying faithful to the beloved children’s book. In his youth, Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) was the wildest animal on the farm, stealing from three farmers — Boggis, Bunce and Bean. But now he is a family man with a wife (Meryl Streep) and a son (Jason Schwartzman). He soon is stealing food again and is almost caught, leading the farmers to bulldoze the entire area. So the foxes, along with other creatures including a badger (Bill Murray), dig deep into the ground and plan their revenge. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is a tremendous achievement for Anderson and one of those rare films that all ages can enjoy together. CV
‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’
Directed by Wes Anderson
2004, Rated R, 119 minutes
Wes Anderson has directed some great films (“Bottle Rocket,” “Rushmore”) and even though “Rushmore” is my favorite, “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” runs a close second. Bill Murray shines as the eccentric oceanographer Steve Zissou, a man too pompous to know his career is over. Zissou and his band of misfits set out to find and film the “Jaguar Shark” that killed Zissou’s mentor (Seymour Cassel). Along for the ride is a journalist (Cate Blanchett) and Zissou’s newly discovered son (Owen Wilson). In one of the film’s funniest moments, pirates overrun the ship and take hostages, but Zissou, along with a few others, hunt them down and save the day. “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” is a slightly odd, extremely funny and highly recommended film featuring one of Murray’s greatest performances. CV
