Review of Bottle Rocket (1996) by Melvin W — 30 Jan 2013

Dignan: On the run from Johnny Law... ain't no trip to Cleveland. .

"They're not really criminals, but everybody has to have a dream.".

Bottle Rocket is my first exposure to a Wes Anderson film and it's fitting that it just so happens to be his debut. What we have with Bottle Rocket is a cool, little movie that does a lot while doing very little. It's a brisk film that focuses on a trio of friends. The movie is definitely quirky and relies heavily on the well written characters of Dignan, Anthony, and Bob. Each character is their own and each one is a breath of fresh air from the normal characters we see all the time. .

Anthony is fresh out of the "looney bin" and decides to join Dignan in his quest to be a real criminal. With the help of their friend Bob, they rob a local book store and then take of on the run. They end up at a secluded little motel where Anthony falls in love with a girl named Inez. The story takes us to a final heist scene that has no glamour to it at all and is extremely funny in my opinion. I loved the way Wes Anderson used the buddy crime genre and breathed something new and creative into it. It's not typical in any sense of the word.

What I liked most about the film was the performance from Owen Wilson. His character was easily the most interesting and very funny. I'm not what you'd call an Owen Wilson lover, but when he gives a performance like the one in Bottle Rocket, it always gives me a new appreciation for him. He's definitely an underrated actor in my opinion, but that comes with how much shit he puts out. .

Overall, I really enjoyed Bottle Rocket and look forward to seeing a lot more Wes Anderson films. Even though I haven't seen much from him, I see the genius everyone has claimed he is. I wouldn't go as far as to say this is a must see, but I would recommend it as I think just about anyone can have a lot of fun with it. .