Rushmore (1998)
Wes Anderson without the set pieces.
Presentation:
Early work from Wes Anderson that focuses on story. It's quite charming to see his style in a lower budget film, all the sensibilities are there, anamorphic, quirky staging, symmetrical framing. But unlike his other more convoluted art projects, this one has a substantial script with deeper relationships. You connect more with the characters in this more believable setting with familiar mature taboo topics in a playful tone.
Conclusion:
Id still rank this as Wes Anderson's third best film after Moonrise Kingdom and Grand Budapest Hotel. But this one has a lot of heart and soul. And it's funny and super entertaining too. In my opinion, this is who Wes Anderson really is beneath all the spectacle of globetrotting art projects.
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