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Wes Anderson is Hollywood’s preeminent author of pastel delights. He has his own style: carefully curated color palettes, quirky characters, surreal sets. But his films also have emotional depth. Underneath the humor is mostly melancholy.
Over the years, Anderson has shared some of his favorite films, old and new. Like Anderson’s own work, many of his selections feature engaging imagery and intimate storytelling. Fans of quirky spaces and quirky characters are sure to find something they enjoy among these recommendations.
moonstruck (1987)
“I’ve always loved this script,” Anderson said Norman Jewison‘s Romcom moonstruck. “It’s a very well done Hollywood version of New York.” The film follows eight New Yorkers on one fateful night as they try to navigate various romantic entanglements.
Cher is electric like the female lead Loretta. She even won the Oscar for Best Actress for the role. but Nicholas Cage also puts in a criminally underestimated performance. In the middle he delivers a great monologue about love and loss. “We’re here to ruin ourselves and break our hearts and love the wrong people and die,” he says.“Now I want you to come upstairs with me and climb into my bed!”
Absence (1982)
Absence based on the true story of Karl Hörmannan American journalist in Chile who disappeared after the US-backed 1973 coup d’état. The coup deposed the socialist government of Chile Salvador Allende and General installed August Pinochet as head of state. Horman’s wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) and father (jack lemmon) try to find him, but they are frustrated at every turn.
Absence is an indictment of bureaucracy and indifferent government officials. It won the Palme d’Or in 1982 but has failed to reach a wide audience in recent decades. It’s worth it for the moving performances by Spacek and Lemmon, as well as the music composed by vangeliswho passed away last month.
Charulata (The Lonely Woman) (1964)
The lonely wife is a 1964 drama film directed by an Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, whom Anderson describes as a major influence. “All of his films have inspired me […] Movies in different ways,” Anderson said. The film is set in late 19th-century India under British rule. The lonely wife revolves around husband and wife Bhupati (Shailen Mukherjee) and Charu (Madhabi Mukherjee).
Bhupati invites his cousin Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee) to stay and Amal and Charu become friends. But things soon get complicated when Charu develops feelings for Amal. The lonely wife is a touching tale of near romance. The final scene in particular is expertly crafted and is sure to stay in the viewer’s mind long after the credits have rolled.
Porco Rosso (1992)
Porco Rosso is one of the lesser-known films by the Japanese animation icon Hayao Miyazaki. Anderson cited it as an influence on his stop-motion film Island of Dogs.
Porco Rosso (Italian for “red pig”) is a whimsical story about an Italian World War I fighter pilot (Shuichiro Moriyama) became a bounty hunter catching flying pirates. As if that wasn’t surreal enough, the pilot also suffers a terrible curse that turns him into a pig. In other words, it’s sure to delight fans of Studio Ghibli.
Based on a true story, this drama tells the life of a successful author Janet frame. Three different actresses play Janet at different points in her life, from her working-class upbringing in pre-war New Zealand, to her years in a mental institution, to her success as a writer.
An angel at my table is a subtle but moving film. director Jane Campionwho did last year The power of the dogShe handles the sometimes heavy material with a sensitive grip. In a letter to Criterion, Anderson expressed his love for film.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is actually a 24-episode anime series, but Anderson counted it among his favorite movies. It’s an anime in the mecha genre revolving around giant robots fighting against cosmic beings.
The series has been described as a confident take on the genre, with richly drawn characters and impressive graphics. It also brings in religious themes and imagery from Shinto, Judaism and Christianity. Neon Genesis Evangelion was very influential on both anime and western animation. Shows how Rick and Morty and Steven universe contain obvious references to the series.
The final detail (1973)
Naval Officers “Badass” Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and “Mule” Mulhall (Ottis Jung) are accused of killing 18-year-old Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) from Virginia to a prison in Maine. Meadows faces 18 years in prison for stealing $40. Along the way, Buddusky and Mulhall develop a certain fondness for Meadows and decide to give him a good time before he is locked up.
The final detail is an emotional and realistic drama. The film is also an implicit commentary on the Vietnam War without letting the audience see it directly. It was the inspiration behind it Richard LinklaterThe movie of 2017 Last flag fliesmain role Steve Carlwhich also examines issues related to war and patriotism. The final detail is worth watching for Nicholson’s excellent performance alone, but some viewers will also appreciate his mature handling of difficult subjects.
New York Stories (1989)
New York Stories is an anthology film of three short films directed by Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and Francis Ford Coppola respectively. Anderson has particularly praised Scorsese’s section.
The Scorsese short follows the painter Dobie, played by Nolte, who lives with his girlfriend (Rosanna Arquette). They’re both lonely in their own way. The unnamed woman only appreciates Dobie for his power and success, while Dobie is so insecure and craves adoration that he can’t seem to get close to anyone. Like many of Anderson’s films, it’s about damaged people trying to find connection and failing.
birth (2004)
Ten years after the death of her husband Sean (Michael Desautels), Anna (Nicole Kidman) seems finally ready to move on. She is engaged to her boyfriend Joseph (Danny Houston), and the couple is ready to build a new life together. But all of this is turned on its head when a 10-year-old boy (Cameron Hell) shows up claiming to be Anna’s reincarnated husband.
birth is a thriller by Jonathan Glaserbest known for under the skin With Scarlett Johansson. birth is stranger than this film, which might explain why it divided critics upon release and barely recouped its budget. It’s certainly not for everyone, but a certain fan dude will appreciate it. At the very least, you might find something to enjoy in the stirring score from a frequent Anderson collaborator Alexandre Desplat.
The Great Beauty (2013)
The Great Beauty follows Yep (Tony Servilo), a charismatic but selfish author who suffers from writer’s block. He seeks inspiration in Rome and meets a variety of strange characters along the way, including a stripper with whom he has an ill-fated romance.
The film is a character study about Jep, but also about his city, both the good and the bad. Critics have compared The Great Beauty to Italian classics like Federico Fellini‘s La DolceVita and Robert Rossellini‘s Rome, open city, which also document a specific period in Rome. in the the great beauty, director Paolo Sorrentino deliversan update of these films for the 21st century.