Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Anderson (2009)

Wes Anderson has proven to be one of the most aesthetically groundbreaking directors in modern cinema. Through films such as Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, and 

Rushmore, he has established a number of his own directorial trademarks and has crafted a very recognizable and unique style. Fantastic Mr. Fox is Anderson's first foray into the world of animated features, yet, instead of diminishing or dulling his stylistic tendencies, this change of mediums has helped him to further refine his auteur senses.

The film, which is based on a children's book of the same name by Roald Dahl, follows Mr. Fox who after years of being a newspaper man, returns to his old ways of stealing from the local farms for what he plans to be his last big job. When the infamous owners of the three farms that Mr. Fox raids retaliate, he must try to save himself, his family, and the local animals who he endangered. Like in many of his past films, Anderson also explores unique family dynamics, the innocence of childhood, and a number of quirky characters.

From the opening scene of the film, it is easy to tell that Fantastic Mr. Fox is a Wes Anderson film. The chapter title overlays, the music choices, the nostalgic costumes, pop culture references/props, the carefully arranged color palates, and the witty dialogue that we have come to expect from Anderson are all on full display throughout the movie. Also, Anderson collaborated with many of the same actors that he has worked with on his other film such as, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman.

In Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson has taken a beloved children’s book and turned it into a classic family film that is bursting with the same emotional and universal appeal of a Pixar production. He also did so while maintaining his vision and not changing his distinctive style despite the change to animation. The script, the voice acting, the design, the score, and the overall direction of Fantastic Mr. Fox are all great and if you have enjoyed any of Anderson's past work, or are just a fan of animated features, you are sure to enjoy, if not love, this film.  

8/10

The Breakfast Club - (1985)

The Breakfast Club

 by Jared Guidroz

In the critically acclaimed 1985 John Hughes film, The Breakfast Club, the plot is simple. A Jock, a popular girl, a geek, a thief, and a burnout are all gathered together for a Saturday morning detention. While there, through a series of seemingly dramatic revelations and confessions, they realize that they are more alike than they thought. Despite a great cast, interesting premise, and proven director, The Breakfast Club is a mediocre film that loses itself after the first act.

The problem with the film is its lack of stakes. The first act consists mostly of the different students sitting in relative silence with John Bender, the local bad boy played masterfully by Judd Nelson, picking on and making fun of everyone in the room. After the characters finally begin interacting with each other, the movie turns into an almost full-fledged drama. Each character reveals at least one major trauma or problem from their life in an exaggerated fashion. These scenes are where the great cast, consisting of Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Michael Hall, really gets to shine. Unfortunately, these intense moments and scenes are tarnished by the inclusion of a Beverly Hills Cop - esque soundtrack that does not compliment the tone of the film at all and the intermittent comedy centered events that follow them. After learning some of these extremely dark situations that their fellow detention mates are in, the group proceeds to, in no particular order, sneak out of their holding room, smoke weed together, and then dance around the library. It is also clear, due to a number of actions taken by the characters towards the end of the film that they have changed only a minimal amount, if at all, from the traumatic experiences and tumultuous discussions that they had throughout the day.  To see the characters, which you barely get to know in the first act, recover so quickly from the sharing of their emotional, mental, and family issues, in a way cancels out any sort of personal connection or sense of empathy/sympathy you have formed with them. It is also clear, due to a number of actions taken by the characters towards the end of the film that they have changed only a minimal amount, if at all, from the traumatic experiences and emotional discussions that they had throughout the day.

The Breakfast Club is one case of a film in which the parts are greater than its sum. It seems as though Hughes could not decide if he wanted to be a comedy or a dark psychological drama. It has a number of impressive scenes in both directions/genres, yet, as a mix of the two the film fails. While it may have been great for its time, it now comes off as cliché, stereotypical, and ingenuine.

5/10