The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Steve Zissou, sea-film auteur a la Jacques Cousteau, has reason to be melancholy: his partner has been eaten, perhaps by a mythic jaguar shark, his wife may be taking up with her ex-husband, a young man appears claiming Steve is his father (Steve hates fathers), his most recent films have tanked, he's having trouble raising money for his venture to revenge his partner, and he's attracted to a pregnant reporter who prefers the pretender. At sea, in pursuit of the shark, will he escape pirates and mutiny, forge the bonds of fatherhood, place his arm around his wife, find the monster of the deep, re-establish box office hegemony, and discover a reason to smile?
| Bill Murray | Steve Zissou |
| Owen Wilson | Ned Plimpton |
| Cate Blanchett | Jane Winslett-Richardson |
| Anjelica Huston | Eleanor Zissou |
| Willem Dafoe | Klaus Daimler |
| Jeff Goldblum | Alistair Hennessey |
| Michael Gambon | Oseary Drakoulias |
| Noah Taylor | Vladimir Wolodarsky |
| Bud Cort | Bill Ubell |
| Seu Jorge | Pelé dos Santos |
| Robyn Cohen | Anne-Marie Sakowitz |
| Waris Ahluwalia | Vikram Ray |
| Niels Koizumi | Bobby Ogata |
| Pawel Wdowczak | Renzo Pietro |
| Matthew Gray Gubler | Intern #1 |
| Wes Anderson |
7.20 out of 10 (36374 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Great
posted on 22 Aug 2009'The Life Aquatic' has been greeted with a somewhat icy reception from critics, but so what? This film includes a scene in which Bill Murray singlehandedly takes on an entire crew of pirates, forcing them to flee his boat, with the Stooges' "Search and Destroy" providing the soundtrack. It also features Seymour Cassel, Knockout Ned from 'City of God' playing guitar and singing Portuguese versions of David Bowie songs, the use of the term "bulldyke", and Murray responding to a criticism of his most recent documentary as "fake" by pulling a gun on the reporter and angrily asking "does this look fake?" And, I repeat, Bill Murray fights pirates, with the accompaniment of Iggy and the Stooges.
wes andersons best movie
posted on 10 Aug 2009really, really thought this movie was funny.it has a lot of really dry humor and a deadpan bill murray in the lead.while wes anderson's other movies bored me (rushmore was too dry and only the first half of the royal tenanbaums was funny) this one had a lot to take in.sometime's anderson goes too far and tries to pack in style over substance and it can bog his movies down, but the weirdness in this one only helps along the story.we cant believe bull murray didn't get an Oscar nomination for this. clearly one of the best comedic performances for a long time.
Huh?
posted on 10 Aug 2009Really great cast. A beautiful soundtrack and aesthetic, but... huh? It felt like an exercise in making the most uninteresting movie out of the quirkiest characters. Anderson's previous work The Royal Tenenbaums was much better at mining the pathos of a dysfunctional family and the journey of a man trying to make amends at the end of his life.The only moment I truly liked was when Bill Murray goes up to point at the "small island" on the map and points to the wrong one. Anjelica Huston points to the correct one behind his back which told me Zissou is Zissou despite Zissou.Cool idea, though.
Take it easy and just enjoy the movie
posted on 08 Aug 2009Just as he did with Bottlerocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tannenbaums, Wes Anderson sets the bar so high that he can't possibly reach it. But that's okay because he is setting himself up NOT for a failure, but for a standard that mocks most movies.Basically, I just want to say that you need to take his movies with a grain of salt. Holistically, this movie is hilarious. You won't be laughing the entire time (though I was), but I don't think you're supposed to.If you like martini-dry humor (e.g. Bill Murray), you will love this movie. If you are looking for punchlines that are set up by predictable jokes, you won't...
Works in doses, but terrible...just terrible
posted on 02 Aug 2009At no point throughout 2 hours of this drivel could I extricate a story; let alone one worth following. It is nothing more than a series of unrelated scenes strung together, that left me wondering what was going on. Did we really need to see a cutaway of the Belafonte and the explanation? It just came out of nowhere and didn't really add much. Moreover, the mindless prattle littered throughout the film was more aggravating than entertaining, and often so weird that one couldn't help but shake his head. Who cares about a guy singing acoustic versions of David Bowie's songs? And while there were some funny moments and jokes that only those of "higher" intellect could decipher, there really wasn't anything clever or witty about them. There is nothing clever about this film; it could have been significantly better but Wes Anderson decided to be weird for the sake of weird. I liked his previous films a lot, but what separated them from this piece was honest character development. The characters in the Tennebaums were real people, even if one had to take a leap of faith to believe so; Everyone could empathize with Max in Rushmore and his cause no matter how over the top it was. I was angered having to sit through this movie and dish out 8.50. This movie fails in every-which way, though the soundtrack was pretty good.I can't see where anyone who truly and honestly enjoyed it is coming from. Loyalty isn't a good policy when it clouds your vision. Not a good movie, at all.
Another Wes Anderson Winner
posted on 31 Jul 2009For those who feel they still possess the components to qualify as being human, please go experience this film. Not being a fan of watching trailers of movies I want to see I tried to stay as blind as possible before going. All I knew going in was that it was a Wes Anderson film with Bill Murray and a few of the cast from his previous film The Royal Tennenbaums.I've been a long time fan of Bill Murray, ever since his lounge singer bit on SNL, the crazed groundskeeper from Caddyshack, and Stripes from the Harold Ramis as writer/actor comedy days. Owen Wilson's brother stole my heart in the Tennenbaum movie, but I've always been appreciative of Owen's aura. Add Anjelica Huston's haughty, mature beauty and you've got the ingredients for a cake made in heaven. Put them in the hands of master chef Wes Anderson and you've got a piece d'resistance.In case you are too young to remember when we had only 3 channels on the TV and viewers were used to the same programming week after week for years, you probably don't remember The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Over the years millions of us watched Jacques and his crew go on underwater adventures and tell us things about seawater creatures we otherwise never would have known. Director Anderson's film is a tribute to Cousteau & Company in his achingly beautiful, funny way.Continuing with the chef analogy, Anderson throws a bunch of ordinary, yet of exceptional quality, ingredients into the pots and lets them mix marinate in your psyche and soul and spirit. He knows how to serve each course in the cinematic banquet. You don't know what's coming next but you know it's going to be delicious.Exceptional ingredients besides the cast -- every single cast member, including the 3-legged dog shines -- include exotic locations, soundtrack, dialog, and the sheer humanity of the plot.Bill Murray deserves best actor and Owen Wilson best supporting actor nominations for their roles. Wes Anderson best director nomination. Technical nominations for sound and cinematography as well.Blessings and congratulations to all involved in the making of the film. Thank you for keeping it real.
Another notch in Anderson's belt
posted on 29 Jul 2009I saw this film on the first Thursday night after it opened and was shocked that I was one of only about 10 people in the theatre. To compound this, 4 of the patrons left 2/3 of the way through the film. I knew Anderson's work was largely under-appreciated by much of the movie-going public, but surely this must have been some kind of cruel joke? Despite the surreal atmosphere, The Life Aquatic delivered every bit of what I was hoping for. Bill Murray was brilliant in his portrayal of the Cousteau-want-to-be Zissou. As rich a character as Anderson has ever created, Zissou takes you from pain to laughter effortlessly. The subtle humour that Anderson has become so skilled at sneaking into his films is given the perfect vehicle in Zissou. The cast of characters deliver excellent performances; most notably Wilson and Defoe in my opinion. While they are a diverse and remarkably deep and well-drawn group, the rest of the characters are planets within Zissou's orbit and carry themselves as such.After watching The Life Aquatic, you really must bow to Anderson for his ability to develop characters that you truly enjoy as they move through ups and downs in their lives. The interaction between these characters is every bit as intriguing as in his earlier works, set to perhaps even more elaborate and creative environments. There are so many subtle nuances present in Anderson's films that they seem to pass by without acknowledgment, but add an extra dimension to each scene that may not exist in any other filmmaker's work.I pray that we see the day that this man receives the plaudits that his efforts demand. Bravo Wes. You've created a fantastic film to add to your already excellent portfolio. Thank you for them all.
Great movie with heart and point
posted on 29 Jul 2009The Life Aquatic to me was a breath of fresh air because it was something way different than some of the stuff coming out. You actually know all the characters and it has some funny moments and isn't all about dumb jokes. It's more smart comedy. Steve Zissou who Bill Murray is of course, was great because we all know Bill is one of the best actors, but in this one he actually made you feel what he was feeling. Especially near the end when they see the Jaguar Shark and he asks if it remembers him because it had taken his best friend and his son. I also liked seeing William Dafoe as Klaus because its way different from the Green Goblin or Boondock Saints. Owen Wilson is great and you can tell he likes working with Wes. More than half the cast has worked with him so you can tell that they appreciate the movie. Well if you haven't seen this great movie go out and see it.
Very good and imaginative movie!
posted on 29 Jul 2009Either you like it or you hate it! But I personally think that if you really hate that movie, well maybe you've had too many "Hollywood" fast food...and now you can't taste the simple taste of a good yet simple movie! And for those complaining about not being able to define that movie (is it a comedy, a drama?)....WHO CARES? It's like Life itself...it cannot be a big comedy or a big drama all the time...it's a mix of both that makes us appreciate it! This movie incorporates a lot of imaginative details that makes it a little jewel! The cut-view of the boat, the soundtrack, the little CGI details from time to time....All of these makes this movie a unique one!Well...just see the movie...and make your own opinion! :) IT'S GOOD AND REFRESHING! :)Of course, if you don't like Bill Murray as an actor...don't see that movie...Duh!
Oceanographer Steve Zissou and his crew have their moments
posted on 29 Jul 2009I have been a follower of Director Wes Anderson's films since Bottle Rocket. His latest endeavor, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, has many tongue-in-cheek moments, and the eccentricity factor is still present. Unfortunately, I could not shake the feeling that this is a Wes Anderson film TRYING to be a Wes Anderson film.This is Anderson's first departure from Co-Writing with recurring actor Owen Wilson, I wonder if those two have a chemistry that just isn't there between Anderson and Co-Writer Noah Baumbach.Although the film will definitely entertain, overall it does not feel as complete as even Anderson's earliest work.Noteworthy is his use of Stop Motion Animation for all of the aquatic life! CGI will not take over the world after all!
Great movie, Anderson is a genius, but......
posted on 27 Jul 2009Where was Kumar Pallana, aka Mr. Littlejeans (Rushmore), aka Pagota (Royal T's)? He has been in all of Wes Anderson's movies up to this point and I was really disappointed that he wasn't in The Life Aquatic. My guess is maybe because Spielberg casted him in The Terminal that there was a conflict in Kumar's schedule. In The Terminal he actually had a large supporting role, he was the maintenance man who liked to leave the floor wet and watch people slip on it. In Tennenbaums he was Pagota, Royal's right hand man. In Bottlerocket he was the crew for the heist. For me as a huge fan of all the Wes Anderson movies, he is a signature element for all the films, and I bet it's all Spielberg's fault that he wasn't in this film. Does anyone have any info on why Kumar might not have been in the film? Also I recommend this film and all other Wes Anderson movies, can't wait for the next one!
A pox on all that is modern film
posted on 25 Jul 2009This movie was terrible. Bill Murry should be immediately tarred and feathered for staring such filth.The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a ridiculous story of a fraud named Steve Zissou with ridiculous characters and ridiculous turn of events. While some may consider the lunacy of the plot to be humorous, it was really just stale.Throughout the film, you're left wondering, nay, hoping for some humor or plot development but none substantial really forms. The characters are all superficial and their interactions seemed played and hackneyed.Questions arise like why the hell does Ned Plimpton decide to give up his career as a pilot to find his alleged father Steve Zissou. Plimpton invests all his money into Zissou's half-ass productions with little reason other than to try and bond with dear old dad. I suppose one might consider the whole concept humorous, but it was really just plain stupid.I suppose this movie would serve as a parody for aquatic documentaries, but only very weakly. More aptly this movie is the Blair Witch of comedies - a scam on all those who pay to see it.
Some good lines but overall dull and contrived quirkiness
posted on 19 Jul 2009Ever go to a family gathering, eg. a Thanksgiving, with someone you just met? The family thinks that they're really different and goes out of their way to prove it to you: there are a million inside jokes, none of which are ever explained to you; they laugh constantly at the simplest lines; everyone has a quirk or two which is revealed to you with great glee; they're forever saying how you'll "get it" if you manage to survive the holiday hahahahahahaha.If you enjoy this kind of thing, you may like Wes Anderson. "Royal Tennenbaums" was just an extended version of a weird family. Much like most theatre, the characters speak in isolation from any plot or character development so that the fabric of the story is unnecessary. The author merely intends to grind his/her point home."Life Aquatic" is a variation on this theme: Bill Murray's extended family is on his boat and a quest for a killer shark. Various family problems/ issues surface and are worked out (or not). No one really interacts with any depth: it's as if they're each in a separate bubble that slightly rubs against other bubbles. There's no chemistry, depth, feeling, character development, consistency.Anderson's defenders no doubt love this "quirky" feel as it's so like real families who don't actually interact. Yeah, OK, maybe on stage people are like this.One of the tragedies here is Bill Murray. He's been sleepwalking through movies for 10+ years. He's always the same guy who mostly watches as the world goes by, occasionally delivering a funny line. Here it's just more of that, but sometimes in a scuba outfit.
trend of putting little in jokes in films
posted on 17 Jul 2009lots of comments, so I don't need to go over how brilliant Bill Murry is in this movie. etc. etc.instead I wanted to comment on how movies are so proud of little references to pop culture so you can feel like your in the know. And it can make you wonder what your watching if you don't know the references.and at first I thought some of the references in this film were to something, and i was missing out but then i became more convinced that the references weren't references or at least weren't references to anything I an audience member would have seen. I stopped worrying and set back and enjoyed the film.These are not card board characters but real life complex character that you can not get the full sense of because a film can't ever do that, and people often have different sides to them. The animations I felt at first out of place at first, until I used them to contrast Bill Murry's character.Amazing sets, that helped place you in the world of Steve Zissou, and his unreality. This is a mental picture, and you have to think, it was darkly funny and witty. that if you just go with it, it is deeply moving.
Another stylish treat from Wes Anderson!
posted on 11 Jul 2009I'm a big fan of Rushmore, but The Royal Tennenbaums was terrible and I was afraid that Wes Anderson's latest film, The Life Aquatic, would go down the road of the latter. I'm pleased to say that it didn't, however, and just like he did with Rushmore; Anderson has taken his quirky visual style and wound it around a plot that it can work with and the result is a truly sublime film! Bill Murray has had something of a career revival since the overrated Lost in Translation, but let's not forget that Wes Anderson had been casting him in his movies long before Francis' hack daughter ever got her hands on him. In this film, he plays Steve Zissou; an underwater explorer and documentary filmmaker. He, along with his team that includes several quirky characters set out on a mission to find and kill the Jaguar Shark that ate his best friend Esteban. The film then follows the crew as they face various obstacles on their way to finding the shark; some of them as a result of the mission, and others as a results of their interactions with one another.What makes this film brilliant is not the plot or the action; it's Anderson's attention to detail. It's the little moments such as the part that see a lizard land on Murray's hand, only to be flicked away, that make this film what it is. Almost every scene has something like that in it that makes it memorable. For the special effects, Anderson has recruited Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick, so as you can imagine; they're not exactly realistic. They are very good, however, and seeing the actors in a completely absurd underwater environment is striking and works brilliantly. The part where they finally encounter the shark is of particular note. Anderson's humour helps the film too, and it is almost constantly hilarious. The jokes aren't obvious, and stem more from Anderson's use of music and the star's faces than anything, and this is much better than having it being gag-based. The cast is terrific, and the ensemble which includes the likes of Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Anjelica Huston, Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum work brilliantly together. On the whole, while this wont be for everyone; the elements come together really well and if you like this sort of thing, you're in for a treat.
waste of time
posted on 07 Jul 2009"I don't get it. It's odd, but it's not funny. Is it going over my head or does this movie just suck? It can't be this bad on accident, but why on earth would someone do this on purpose?" - These were the thoughts that went through my head as I watched Rushmore, a previous Wes Anderson film. I decided to give Anderson a second chance and see The Life Aquatic. I won't make that mistake again. Like a white guy on the dance floor who's too self conscious to really let loose, The film pathetically rocks back and forth, playing at absurdity, but afraid of going too far and being asinine. The result is somewhat awkward boredom. There are a couple moments that are genuinely funny, a couple that are silly fun, but for the most part, it's just eccentric - and not in the good Terry Gilliam way.
was there a story there?
posted on 07 Jul 2009Huh? was there a story? did I miss it? everyone seemed to be walking through a bad acid trip; disjointed and aimless. I have no idea why the name stars in this film, Willem Dafoe, Kate Blanchett and BiLL Murray signed on. Murray looked like he was dyspeptic and suffering from hemorrhoids. I heard he was unhappy during the shoot. It showed. There aren't a lot of golf courses in Italy and Bill looked like he wanted to be on the first tee- anywhere. The "story" seemed cobbled together- like they never got past a first draft- a pastiche of semi-related thoughts. I was bored, really bored. Bill, shame on you. There was nothing in the part of Willem Dafoe- why did he take that part? This guy is a good actor, why this? Avoid this film like the plague. Gibberish.
confusing
posted on 05 Jul 2009I saw Life Aquatic at the cinemas in Stockholm, Sweden. At that time there were few "watchable" movies going so I had to pick this one... Retrospectively, I'd be more entertained watching Keno on TV (you swedes know what I'm talking about). After a glimpse at the trailer I had expected a straightforward comedy. This movie was very bizarre and not to my liking. Some scenes I did get, but mostly I just shook my head in confusion. In its defense there is some humor and you probably won't fall asleep, but if you haven't seen it and expect a "Jim Carrey-funny" movie - don't bother. Since I saw Life Aquatic at the cinemas I have become very skeptic to movies starring Bill Murray.
Long, slow, pointless...
posted on 05 Jul 2009This film must appeal to the NY art house crowd.. In fact it might just appeal to just a few streets in New York City. This is fine if you were out with your camera and a few friends to make a small movie. Then screen the movie to your friends and follow it up with a nice party. As for a major release or even minor release this picture seems silly.Silly to spend so many millions of dollars and waste the time of great actors.Not to say Wes Anderson is repeating himself.. but maybe all he has in him is one movie. Rushmore.Speaking of Rushmore, this movie is more or less the same story and characters of Rushmore. Except this time it is a boyhood fantasy of an Adventurer Steve Zissou. Bill Murray / Steve Zissou has another midlife crisis. Again?!! Listening to the Directors commentary made things even worse. Both Director and co-writer ramble on and on about nothing as I see the movie again. This happens in the restaurant they wrote the movie in. So the viewer gets to listen to this working restaurant clanking and sometimes crashing in the background. Not only distracting it becomes very irritating.Speaking of... These two guys sat in a restaurant for maybe a YEAR writing this movie. They would eat lunch and then follow it up with dinner. I can only think of the poor owner that loses the table turn over while these guys use the table as an office. ..sigh Must be a NY kind of thing?? The studio giving them money for food but not an office to write in? I like off beat movies. I like movies that break rules and show me something I have never seen before. This movie on the other hand grinds the viewer into his seat.Steve Zissou has a mid life crisis.. and I don't care.
Cody got gypped in a way too long flick
posted on 30 Aug 2009Bill Murray: this is a really cute movie, but why on earth did you allow it to be so LONG?? If you cut 45 min. of it out, you would have had much better reviews. Too much sugar gives cavities.And why on earth would you let Jeff Goldblum hit the poor endearing legless Cody? That really piszed me off. There are other ways of making a guy look like a jackasz than abusing defenseless animals. That was way off. And Cody should have not been abandoned with the Pirates. And Zissou should have defended Cody when Goldblum hit him. That made me not only hate Goldblum more but it made me like Zissou less.They should have made a U Turn to get Cody back so he could have been in the final scene when they all see the Jaguar Shark. It would have been really cute to have Cody in Bill Murray's lap during that scene. And he could have hugged him when he wanted someone to remember him and when he was tearful. Why not show that? Why cut Cody off after Bill Murray befriended him? But really cute movie; I loved all the randomness and the odd characters. Cate Blanchett is good in everything she does. She should have been in Closer instead of Julia, even though I love Julia. Julia just shouldn't play those kinds of deep roles.Anjelica Huston was perfect as the rich bitch wife. I loved her random blue hair extensions and her jewelry was aquatically beautiful. Ned was good and Klaus was a cute character too. I love the part where Klaus' son gives Zissou the fish in the bag of water, but the water starts leaking so Zissou steals a champagne glass and fills it with the little fish and the water. I liked the arbitrary addition of the jerk in the gallery pissing Zissou off by insinuating he killed Esteban and who would he kill in the sequel. When Zissou reacted angrily that was cool to show he cared a lot about Esteban and himself.There were some really beautiful scenes too, and I loved some of the cinematography, but did it have to be two hours long? Short and sweet is a phrase that is not used often enough.