DVD Review: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

05/10/05

Bill Murray has tackled some interesting films in the past four years, from The Royal Tenenbaums to Lost in Translation to his most recent adventure, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. True to Murray?s Saturday Night Live background, these films are all sprinkled with comedy (at times rather dark), but it?s the characters that make the films what they are. Life Aquatic, which just released on DVD, is a perfect example, so while fans of Murray?s slapstick shtick will be left disappointed, those who have appreciated his more-obscure recent outings will have nothing but praise for this two-disk DVD set. Wes Anderson, Life Aquatic?s director, has teamed with Murray once again (they worked together on Rushmore) to tell the story of a man with a troubled marriage, a troubled psyche, a different sense of humor and a mission to just plain figure things out. In the case of Life Aquatic, Murray?s tasks as the character Steve Zissou are to rediscover the mojo in his Jacques Cousteau-like documentaries and come to grips with the maturity needed for his new role as a father. The two goals go hand in hand, of course, and it?s Murray?s delivery of those simultaneous journeys that makes the movie as memorable as it is bizarre. His introspection throughout the sea-faring journey and the moments of self-discovery while interacting with his estranged wife and newfound son are some of the most oddly touching moments Murray has performed. Sprinkled between these pensive moments are bizarre computer-generated and action sequences that make viewers wonder whether the end of the film will expose Zissou as a fake. What they illustrate, however, is the complexity of Zissou?s mental state, the mix of reality and fantasy that weave themselves in a single psyche that, eventually, is understood by those closest to him. To say The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a ?deep? film is like saying the Great Barrier Reef covers some significant acreage. Where Murray delivers on all fronts, though, director Anderson and the writer have more hit-or-miss success rates. Several ?reflection? sequences are cut too short, other supposedly funny ones go on too long, and several fantasy-based scenes simply don?t seem to fit. Multiple scenes even bring up important plot points that are never explored further in the film. These aspects don?t necessarily hurt the film, but the distraction of their sheer presence hampers viewers? ability to see the true complexity of Steve Zissou and his situation. At least with the two-disk DVD set viewers can replay scenes or the entire movie. The bonus features on the two-disk set are equally eclectic, both in content and quality. On the awesome end are 10 complete performances by musician Seu Jorge of the David Bowie songs he plays in the film, cast interviews and an actual documentary that outlines the making of the film (an entertaining and appropriate twist on the behind-the-scenes featurette, given the nature of the movie). The other side of the bonus-feature spectrum includes an Italian talk show called Mondo Monda, in which Anderson and Noah Baumbach are riddled with bizarre questions. For those who revel in the bizarre mix in The Life Aquatic the film, the diverse bonus features on The Life Aquatic the DVD will seem right at home. But for those who are on the fence about the film itself, several of the disk-two extras might seem a bit off-kilter. Yet ?off-kilter? is exactly the type of film Bill Murray has pursued of late, so seeing his affable mug on the cover of The Life Aquatic DVD set should signal the experience viewers are in for. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is an interesting, artistic and frequently bizarre film, but if you?re in that same frame of mind and/or looking for an alternative to the standard action flick or romantic comedy, the DVD release is definitely one that will fit the bill.
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