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After his best friend and long-time
partner is killed by a mysterious giant shark, has-been oceanographer and documentary
filmmaker Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) decides to hunt down the shark (which he’s called
the Jaguar Shark) and avenge his friend’s death. But Steve’s most recent missions
haven’t exactly been financially successful, and he fails to get funding. Fortunately
probably-his-son airline co-pilot Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson)—who’s seriously thinking
about changing his name to Kingsley Zissou—steps in to donate the inheritance he got from
his mother, and the crew is ready to head out on their latest
mission.
Steve and Ned board Steve’s run-down ship, the Belafonte, along
with a group of unpaid interns, Steve’s indifferent wife (and the brains behind Team
Zissou), Eleanor (Anjelica Houston), and a group of misfit crew members who man the ship,
join in the adventure, and get it all on film. They’re joined by Jane
Winslett-Richardson (Cate Blanchett), a reporter who’s come to write a magazine cover
story on Steve.
But the adventure doesn’t go quite as smoothly as planned,
and the crew members are forced to steal equipment from Steve’s high-tech nemesis,
Alistair Hennessey (Jeff Goldblum), before facing pirates, mechanical problems, and
plenty of strained relationship at sea.
Director Wes Anderson
(Rushmore, The Royal
Tenenbaums) uses his campy style with ‘70s Cousteau-like titles to give the movie
a low-budget documentary feel. Like Tenenbaums, it’s not an over-the-top,
outrageously hilarious movie. But if you appreciate humor that’s as dry as the heat in
Arizona, you’ll love this movie. Its subtle wit and overall randomness will keep you
laughing—even through the movie’s more somber moments.
The brilliant
cast, the quirky music, and Anderson’s signature style make The Life Aquatic with
Steve Zissou a must-see. If you liked Rushmore and/or The Royal
Tenenbaums, you’ll like this one even more. And if you’ve never seen one of
Anderson’s movies, this is the perfect place to start.
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