Review of Bottle Rocket (1996) by Robert R — 20 Apr 2013

Even without the budget of his later films, Wes Anderson's distinct visual flair through dynamic camera movements and deliberate shot compositions shine in "Bottle Rocket." The script is the biggest problem-- while full of charming dialogue and the type of memorably offbeat sequences that would become a trademark of Anderson's, the middle portion of the film is bogged down in a whole lot of aimless wandering that serves to merely stretch the run time (It made a lot of sense when I found out this was an expanded version of an earlier short film).

The love story, in particular, feels out of place. Still, Owen Wilson's Dignan is a brilliant character, and nobody plays a better everyman than Luke Wilson. The first and last 20 minutes of the film are golden.