Review of Bottle Rocket (1996) by Charles G — 19 Feb 2009

Wes Anderson's first full length feature is probably one of his oddest, if not his most subtle comedic effort. He does a very tricky thing from the very beginning that isn't usually seen in comedies. That is, starting it out on its left foot and disorienting the viewer enough to intrigue them (like Memento, but with more laughs).

As with most Anderson flicks, the humor is in the dialogue and there's plenty of that to go around. And through it, we pick up on each individuals subtle habits, desires, and dreams. The cast portraying these screwballs is spot on, the stand out being Owen Wilson's Dignan, who plays like a male version of The Unsinkable Molly Brown with more angst. It's a pleasure to see Anderson's cinematic style getting honed here, and his abililty pull charm from the dingiest of settings is still a wonder to me.

While Bottle Rocket isn't anything astounding, it's quiet humor and enjoyable characters not only keep it afloat, but raise it above and beyond it would've been in the hands of anyone else.