Bottle Rocket

MOVIE #1,305 • 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 • 12.31.23 WES ANDERSON: DIRECTOR FOCUS While the beginnings of Anderson’s notorious style are here, it's interesting to see him work without some of the more meticulous aesthetics. In fact, all three of his first features feel more rooted in a time and place to a degree (wherein the “dollhouse” feel of the later films seem to exist in a singular creation outside of reality, or use a real setting as an artifical idea). And perhaps it was a monetary/music rights issue, but the lack of his patented needle drops in favor of what’s kind of a lackadaisical Mothersbaugh score is very noticeable (and more of a detriment). In fact, the final heist sequence isn’t set to any music — it’s a bit jarring.

I don’t love this as much as other Anderson devotees, but I still appreciate it. I think the romance subplot with the maid is sweet — sure, it’s obviously problematic, but I do think the intentions are good even if they are cloudy and ‘bad’ on the surface (especially when viewed 25+ years later).

James Caan doesn’t show up until almost an hour into the film, which is a bummer, but it makes his role and limited screen-time pop more as a juxtaposition, perhaps. I think the Wilson brothers, while still raw as actors, are pretty good in this (especially Owen). But the rest of the cast is a mixed bag.

Ultimately, having not first seen this until at least after Tenenbaums, it’s simply not a picture I have a longstanding affinity or any nostalgia for.

Tune back in at the end of January when I’ll be going through Anderson’s short film work — including is very good Roald Dahl Netflix adaptations that came out recently — as well as unveiling my definitive ranking of his features.

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Bottle Rocket is a 1996 American crime comedy film directed by Wes Anderson in his feature film directorial debut. The film is written by Anderson and Owen Wilson and is based on Anderson's 1994 short film of the same name. Bottle Rocket is also the acting debut for brothers Owen and Luke Wilson, who co-starred with Robert Musgrave, their older brother Andrew Wilson, Lumi Cavazos, and James Caan. Principal photography took place in various locations throughout Texas. It was released on February 21, 1996.