USA: Fantastic Mr Fox [film review]
Fantastic Mr Fox directed by Wes Anderson in 2009 follows the story of the Fox family. Mr Fox used to be a theft but gave it up when his wife came pregnant. But years later he starts to steal again from the farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean. This causes the farmers to seek revenge which means the animals have to burrow underground to escape.
Fantastic Mr Fox is an adaptation of a book of the same name by Ronald Dahl. "That Anderson has left his paw print on Dahl's work is undeniable [...] what Dahl hinted at, Anderson has made plain" (Barnes, 2009). The film is quite Americanized compared to the book, with things like the American A list actors which allows the film to be more internationally recognised.
Wes Anderson is an American filmmaker known for his distinctive visual and narrative style. His films include: 'Bottle Rocket', 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'The Isle of Dogs'.
Anderson's distinctive style means all of his films share unique visuals that make it obvious that it is a Wes Anderson film. Ways you know that you are watching one of his films include: his use of symmetrical framing, use of underlying violence, complex story lines, the retro feel and oddball characters. (Stewart, unknown)
His use of symmetrical framing allows the world to be obviously styled and fantastical rather than trying to be real and true to life. It is said that "violence often lurks beneath his films' pastel exteriors, but it is never presented to shock or disturb; rather violence is a narrative and visual tool that raises the stakes, humanizes characters, can add a little physical comedy." (Stewart, unknown). Anderson's use of complex story lines, allows the characters personalities to be developed and leaves room for the huge amounts of detail that Anderson likes to put into his films. The characters always have very specific roles within the film and have very specific characteristics that the characters take very seriously.
"The retro lens through which they [the films] are filtered enables a simplicity that feels simultaneously familiar and otherworldly. They often inhabit the fondness of recollection, the warmth of distant memories, or the whimsy of childhood, making them perfectly nostalgic and escapist." (Stewart, unknown). The characters that Anderson creates in his films are always quite quirky because "as a writer, Anderson has a penchant for idiosyncrasy. Whether it be his characters, stories, or settings, you count on any Anderson-penned movie to be perfectly quirky." (Stewart, unknown).
Illustration List
Figure 1. Fantastic Mr Fox movie poster (2009) [poster] At: https://www.amazon.com/FANTASTIC-POSTER-ORIGINAL-GEORGE-CLOONEY/dp/B008QGW66G (Accessed 21 February 2019)
Figure 2. Fantastic Mr Fox characters (2009) [film still] At: https://www.chapter.org/fantastic-mr-fox-pg-0 (Accessed 21 February 2019)
Figure 3. Fantastic Mr Fox environment landscape (2009) [film still] At: https://stmed.net/wallpaper-67416 (Accessed 21 February 2019)
Bibliography
Barnes, H (2009) 'Wes Anderson's urbane Mr Fox is truer to Ronald Dahl than most' [online] At: https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/oct/20/wes-anderson-fantastic-mr-fox (Accessed 21 February 2019)
RogerEbert.com (2013) 'The Wes Anderson Collection Chapter 6: Fantastic Mr Fox' [vimeo video] At: https://vimeo.com/77745711 (Accessed 21 February 2019)
Stewart, S (unknown) '5 ways you know you're watching a Wes Anderson Movie' [online] At: https://filmschoolrejects.com/5-ways-you-know-youre-watching-a-wes-anderson-movie/ (Accessed 21 February 2019)
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| Fig 1. Fantastic Mr Fox movie poster |
Fantastic Mr Fox is an adaptation of a book of the same name by Ronald Dahl. "That Anderson has left his paw print on Dahl's work is undeniable [...] what Dahl hinted at, Anderson has made plain" (Barnes, 2009). The film is quite Americanized compared to the book, with things like the American A list actors which allows the film to be more internationally recognised.
Wes Anderson is an American filmmaker known for his distinctive visual and narrative style. His films include: 'Bottle Rocket', 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'The Isle of Dogs'.
Anderson's distinctive style means all of his films share unique visuals that make it obvious that it is a Wes Anderson film. Ways you know that you are watching one of his films include: his use of symmetrical framing, use of underlying violence, complex story lines, the retro feel and oddball characters. (Stewart, unknown)
 |
| Fantastic Mr Fox characters |
His use of symmetrical framing allows the world to be obviously styled and fantastical rather than trying to be real and true to life. It is said that "violence often lurks beneath his films' pastel exteriors, but it is never presented to shock or disturb; rather violence is a narrative and visual tool that raises the stakes, humanizes characters, can add a little physical comedy." (Stewart, unknown). Anderson's use of complex story lines, allows the characters personalities to be developed and leaves room for the huge amounts of detail that Anderson likes to put into his films. The characters always have very specific roles within the film and have very specific characteristics that the characters take very seriously.
 |
| Fantastic Mr Fox environment landscape |
"The retro lens through which they [the films] are filtered enables a simplicity that feels simultaneously familiar and otherworldly. They often inhabit the fondness of recollection, the warmth of distant memories, or the whimsy of childhood, making them perfectly nostalgic and escapist." (Stewart, unknown). The characters that Anderson creates in his films are always quite quirky because "as a writer, Anderson has a penchant for idiosyncrasy. Whether it be his characters, stories, or settings, you count on any Anderson-penned movie to be perfectly quirky." (Stewart, unknown).
Illustration List
Figure 1. Fantastic Mr Fox movie poster (2009) [poster] At: https://www.amazon.com/FANTASTIC-POSTER-ORIGINAL-GEORGE-CLOONEY/dp/B008QGW66G (Accessed 21 February 2019)
Figure 2. Fantastic Mr Fox characters (2009) [film still] At: https://www.chapter.org/fantastic-mr-fox-pg-0 (Accessed 21 February 2019)
Figure 3. Fantastic Mr Fox environment landscape (2009) [film still] At: https://stmed.net/wallpaper-67416 (Accessed 21 February 2019)
Bibliography
Barnes, H (2009) 'Wes Anderson's urbane Mr Fox is truer to Ronald Dahl than most' [online] At: https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/oct/20/wes-anderson-fantastic-mr-fox (Accessed 21 February 2019)
RogerEbert.com (2013) 'The Wes Anderson Collection Chapter 6: Fantastic Mr Fox' [vimeo video] At: https://vimeo.com/77745711 (Accessed 21 February 2019)
Stewart, S (unknown) '5 ways you know you're watching a Wes Anderson Movie' [online] At: https://filmschoolrejects.com/5-ways-you-know-youre-watching-a-wes-anderson-movie/ (Accessed 21 February 2019)
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