Wes Anderson: Talent, or hack?

Twee!!!!!

Not untalented, but too, too twee for words.

Talented.

Bit of both. More a production designer than a director.

I suppose "twee" is definitely a more apt descriptor. His films are far too precious in tone and visuals for me to actually enjoy. His fan demographic seems to consist of lowbrow aspiring hipsters who came of age in the late 2000s.

One note, twee, and up his own ass. Can’t compose a shot unless it’s single point perspective which he beats into the ground.

To sum up: dullsville.

I wanted to love "Isle of Dogs" and just freaking hated it, so much.

How can you fuck up an animated story about dogs, for heaven's sake?

I loved Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel. The others, not so much.

Talented as hell, but completely and utterly unable to grow. He just keeps reiterating something he essentially perfected fifteen years ago. His own artistry is as hermetically sealed up as his film universe.

It's interesting how he works with the same actors again and again, including some "difficult" ones like Bill Murray and Edward Norton, undeniably talented but disliked by many of their peers....

And the Wilson brothers.

Talented when he gets it right. Even parts of his duds are brilliant. The Royal Tenenbaums is my favorite film of his.

BDF.

Really, the only one I remember totally enjoying was FANTASTIC MR. FOX.

I can barely remember the Tanenbaum one. The Budapest Hotel one was okay.

I don’t think he has a very strong story sense.

his aesthetic is sometimes nice to look at, quirky. and sometimes I find myself rolling my eyes. last I saw was isle of dogs. haven't seen Budapest hotel yet.

I just about ADORE Fantastic Mr Fox and Isle of Dogs and I've seen both twice - something I rarely do with movies.

And I liked Budapest Hotel a lot when I saw it - but don't remember a single thing about it.

As for the others, I can't get past the first 5 minutes.

I think he’s talented. There are parts of his movies that made me laugh out loud, and parts that were incredibly sad. But I do understand the “twee” label and why people don’t like him.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a gem.

Much better at creating striking color palettes than at creating rich characters or interesting stories.

Twee hack..

Not so much a filmmaker as a hashtag for Instagram photos of colorful, twee facades with bits of topiary or flower boxes

His films are novelty needlepoint cushions that ask you to contemplate the message for two hours.

Both?

Rushmore and The Royal Tennanbaums are both wonderful. Diminishing returns since then. He should direct a Pixar movie or something based on a true story to get out of his head. Imagine his take on the WW2 home front or something like Mrs America.

Rushmore is perfection.

Moonrise Kingdom is one of my very favorite movies - hauntingly beautiful.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou was one of the worst films I've ever seen in my life.

I tuned out a while ago, but even the titles of his newer movies manage to annoy me.

Rushmore was okay but I hated Royal Tenenbaums. Couldn't even make it all the way through. Have avoided Anderson ever since.

Loved Rushmore. I don't feel that it has much in common with the rest of his stuff.

Rushmore and Royal Tennenbaums are great. He got the only decent performance of Gwyneth I've seen.

I very much like Rushmore, Tenenbaums and Life Aquatic but then it just gets twee-er and twee-er and over relying on the look and all the Wes Anderson gimmicks.

LOATHED Moonrise Kingdom and Budapest Hotel was just unbearably cutesy poo, which of course meant it got the most awards attention.

He looks like he has a hard drive full of child porn.

It really varies from picture to picture, though I second the criticism upthread about his fetishization of single point perspective. Here’s how I have them graded:

Bottle Rocket: B Rushmore: B+ Royal Tenenbaums: A+ Life Aquatic w Steve Zissou: C The Darjeeling Limited: C- Fantastic Mr Fox: A Moonrise Kingdom: C- Grand Budapest Hotel: A Isle of Dogs: B

I've never gotten the hate for Life Aquatic. Bill Murray is terrific in this movie; his best film performance in my opinion. And, even Owen Wilson, who is very much an acquired taste, is good in this and his "final scene" is really emotionally powerful.

AND, the animated sea life is just great.

Love him. He's inventive and smart but accessible. He takes very interesting chances, most of which work.

A true auteur.

Very talented!

A true talent. What no one has mentioned is how distinctive his work is. Unlike a lot of other directors, he has a very strong point of view and aesthetic. Love him or not, you know it’s a Wes Anderson film. The problem is when he writes with the wrong person, like Noah Baumbach, it just makes the real world intrude too much.

And it’s his birthday today.

Royal Tenenbaums and Fantastic Mr. Fox were good, but overall his movies are like looking at a white, basic, southern sorority girl’s Pinterest page. His esthetic reminds me of Reese Witherspoon after a few bong rips.

On a personal note, I hate his hair and clothes. The whole George Plimpton/Brideshead Revisited redux thing is trying way too hard.