(Jacque Cousteau - but, well, much funnier…)
CAST: Bill Murray, Angelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Seymour Cassell, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Noah Taylor, Bud Cort.
DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and rather surreal (and hilarious) underwater adventures - straight ahead…
"I'm going on an overnight drunk, and in ten days I'm going to set out to find the shark that ate my friend - and destroy it. Anyone who wants to go with me is welcome..."
- World-Famous ocean explorer Steve Zissou (Sir Bill Murray)
Droll humor is probably more misunderstood than the Egyptian Hierogylphics. Actually, that may not be an apt comparison. The Egyptian Hieroglyphics have been deciphered, while there are entire countries still scratching their heads over MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL and FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL.
Droll humor requires intelligence not only in the pitcher, but also the catcher. Which is why droll humor, more often than not, strikes out. Either the pitcher fumbles the pitch - or the catcher fumbles the catch. Or the pitcher pitches just fine - but the catcher thinks the pitcher is lying - or worse, dead serious. It’s enough to make you wish that someone would invent a “Droll Humor Translator Chip” that a pitcher could talk into one side of - and on the other side, like magic, the catcher would actually understand the fucking joke.
To put it in more gastronomic terms, Droll Humor is like anchovies, okra, or eggplants. Either you: (1) appreciate it naturally, (2) gradually develop an acquired taste for it, or (3) just scratch your head and wonder what the hell everyone gets out of it. Just like this blog. Hey, I can laugh at myself. That’s the cornerstone of Droll Humor. Ha ha.
Droll Humor is a quintessentially British tradition. Which is why I loved, LOVED, LOOOOVVVEED my time in England. Everyone was witty. Everyone. Even some of the animals and plants. Unfortunately, not all Americans appreciate Droll Humor. Far from it. I still remember the rigid, uncomprehending smiles of politeness-slowly-turning-to-horror of some fellow Yanks after their first visit to a British pub. It was priceless. Bloody priceless, I tell you.
This difference in American and British Humor extends to cinema, as well. My favorite comparisons are the two Julia Roberts vehicles from 1999: RUNAWAY BRIDE and NOTTING HILL. The former was as American as apple pie, and set in Smalltown America - and had the accompanying down-home perky humor to match. The latter was as British as shepherd’s pie, and had the dry-as-Vermouth humor that our cousins across the pond are famous for. Both are good films - in their own way.
Make no mistake, though: NOTTING HILL, without question, is the funnier one - because of its (altogether now) Droll Humor. Had Roger Michell, the Brit director of NOTTING HILL helmed RUNAWAY BRIDE, and Yank director Garry Marshall, NOTTING HILL, things might be very different indeed.
However, if there was ever an American director whose films were brimming with Droll Humor, it’s Wes Anderson.
Anderson’s films are distinguished by unerring quirkiness and surreall drollness: BOTTLE ROCKET, RUSHMORE, THE DARJEELING LIMITED, and even THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX. As good as these films are, though, my undisputed favorite is his gem from 2004: THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU. I love this film above other Wes Anderson movies for two reasons: (1) It revolves around diving (albeit in a ludicrously over-the-top way); and (2) it stars Sir Bill Murray. I would call that a trifecta, but that’s only two bonuses. Oh, wait… I guess (3) would be that the supporting cast includes such awesome talents as Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum.
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU chronicles a tumultuous period in the life of famed ocean explorer Steve Zissou (Sir Bill). Steve was once revered and loved for his gripping documentaries on ocean exploration. Lately, though, he’s been in somewhat of professional and personal decline, as evidenced by: (1) the lukewarm reception to this latest documentary at its Italian Film Festival screening; (2) the skeptical reaction to the movie’s subject matter, which is about (3) a mythical “Jaguar Shark” that allegedly (4) ate Steve’s beloved partner and mentor, Esteban (Seymour Cassell), and now (5) Steve wants to hunt down the “Jaguar Shark” that no one else believes exists - and (6) kill it.
To make things more complicated, a young man named Ned (Owen Wilson) shows up and claims to be Steve’s illegitimate son from an old (very old) liaison he had with some lady from Kentucky. Again, I must interject: I am not making this shit up. In fact, Ned works for Kentucky Air as a co-pilot. Wonder what they serve as an inflight meal? KFC? Sign. Me. Up. Anyway, Steve quickly embraces (literally and figuratively) Ned and welcomes him to “Team Zissou.” Much to the chagrin of Klause (Willem Dafoe), Steve’s loyal # 2.
Oh, wait. Steve’s loyal # 2 is actually Eleanor Zissou (Anjelica Houston), his wealthy wife who has pretty much bankrolled his career and all his documentaries, whether great, good, okay, or just downright shitty. Oh, and Eleanor may not be so loyal, either, as evidenced by her flirting with Steve’s rival and her ex-husband, Alistair Hennessey (Jeff Goldblum), who would love to see Steve’s movie about the Jaguar Shark sink like the Titanic.
Will Steve redeem himself, personally and professionally? Will he and Ned bond like father and son? Or is Ned really not related to him? Will Eleanor run off with Alistair? Will Alistair scuttle Steve’s plans to catch and kill the Jaguar Shark? Will Steve decide to have an affair with the pregnant journalist, Jane (Cate Blanchett), who is assigned to do a puff-piece on him? What happens when a bunch of Filipino pirates (so serious) kidnap Alistair? Will Steve swallow their rivalry and help with the rescue? Will Klause kill Ned out of rage? Will the Jaguar Shark kill them all? What the hell is up with those “flourescent snappers?” Is it some sort of fucked-up Pride Parade underwater?
Someone explain that last part, please…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU could’ve probably been filmed as a straight-forward drama about an over-the-hill, has-been celebrity who’s floundering in a mid-life crisis, then finds a raft of sorts in his newfound relationships with the son he never knew he had, as well as with the journalist assigned to write about him. It could’ve turned into some sort of triangle between Steve, Eleanor, and Jane - with Steve’s relationship with Ned a secondary thread.
But Wes Anderson’s films often take unexpected routes and whimsical paths, and THE LIFE AQUATIC is no exception. The words “Bill Murray” and “Droll Humor” are practically synonymous, and those of you who love both will be on cloud nine with this movie. There would be no point in me recounting in detail all the humorous bits, but I’ll give you a list of gems to look out for: (1) Steve’s Q & A at the film festival about his plan to track down the Jaguar Shark; (2) Steve’s reaction to a sweet old fan wanting him to sign a large number of “Team Zissou” posters; (3) Eleanor meeting Steve’s mistress at the party; (4) the “swamp leeches” scene; (5) Jane’s introductory scene on the beach full of glowing jellyfish; (6) Alistair being kidnapped by the Filipino pirates; (7) Steve leading a commando raid on the pirates’ island hideout to save Alistair; and (8) the whole cast of characters piling into a submarine to chase down the Jaguar Shark.
And there’s much, much, much more. Like I mentioned earlier, this film is a treasure chest of droll humor - with Sir Bill Murray and that terrific supporting cast as the perfect purveyors. At its heart, THE LIFE AQUATIC is about Steve’s attempts to reclaim his life by trying to: (1) catch the Jaguar Shark; (2) forge a relationship with Ned, the man who may or may not be his son; and (3) decide whether an affair with Jane is worth wrecking what he’s built with Eleanor.
Fortunately, this tale is told in such a humorous and quirkily deadpan way that it successfully avoids cliche and establishes itself as probably the funniest film about mid-life crisis. Ever. And it deserves to be seen more than once to savor that lovely, lovely, lovely droll Bill Murray/Wes Anderson humor.
And watch out for those, ahem, flourescent snappers….
