Cinecast Mailbag (8/10)

Hey guys, Bill Murray has given us "Lost in Translation", "The Life Aquatic", and now "Broken Flowers." I am now convinced that he has but one goal in life... boring us to death. Love your show. --Daryl Palmer

Thanks, Daryl. Nicely (and humorously) put. Considering that I really liked "Lost in Translation" and loved "Broken Flowers," I can't totally agree with you of course. However...

I missed "The Life Aquatic" in theatres and finally caught it on DVD last month. In all honesty, I thought it was one of the worst films I've seen all year. Wes Anderson had to disappoint eventually, right? For the first time I felt like all of those people I've heard about who sat blankly watching "Rushmore" and/or "Tenenbaums" and just didn't "get" the humor. "Aquatic" felt so forced... like Anderson was trying SO HARD to be absurd. It bored me to death, but I thought Murray did the best he could do with the script.

And as much as I enjoyed "Broken Flowers" -- and enjoyed watching Murray in it -- I'll admit there were times that his inaction and general indolence did bother me. Going back to Jarmusch's "Generica" idea, if we view Don as a kind of everyman, then would it have possibly made more sense to portray him a little less mopey? Aren't we all a little unhappy and dissatisfied when we really think about it? And yet, most of us don't walk around in a complete fog like Don does. We put on a face to meet the faces we meet (thank you, T.S. Eliot). I'm not asking for Don to be sprightful or anything, but did he have to be so apathetic? Just throwing it out there...

Sam's chimes in: Just so Adam's not hanging out there all alone with his criticism of "Life Aquatic" ... a film many otherwise sane people seem to enjoy ... I agree: it totally bored me, too. And as I've said more than once on the show, Anderson's "Bottle Rocket" is one of my favorite movies of all time. But I'll go Adam one better: "Anderson had to disappoint eventually, right?" Yes, Adam. It was called "The Royal Tenenbaums." As far as I'm concerned, Anderson's only batting .500. What happened to the charismatic, oddball heroes of "Bottle Rocket" and "Rushmore"? Part of what makes Dignan and Max so fascinating -- and funny -- is that they fight their battles alone; Anderson's last two pictures have been overpopulated with eccentrics -- and mopey eccentrics at that. Here's hoping that Anderson can kick the self-indulgent streak and get his sense of humor back.