# The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou



## dwndrgn (Dec 1, 2005)

Has anyone seen this?  Am I the only one that felt this was a huge waste of so much talent?  I can't even believe I sat through the whole thing, but I kept thinking that the point of the movie would come soon and I would understand it all.  There were only two bright spots in the whole movie, Willem Defoe's portrayal of a German (Austrian?) power-mad, yes man and Cody, the pirate dog.


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## littlemissattitude (Dec 2, 2005)

Haven't seen it, although I almost rented the video when it first came out.  About the only reason I would see it is the presence in it of Owen Wilson.


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## dwndrgn (Dec 2, 2005)

I love Owen Wilson, yet, he definitely isn't at his best in this one.


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## ravenus (Dec 4, 2005)

I liked this movie a good deal although I grant it's an acquired taste. Here's my review of it (thought I had posted it here earlier but the search function doesn't bring it up):

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif]*Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou*.

It's not the most tightly paced movie, and can get pretty self-indulgent at times but its definitely worth a watch. Loosely spoofing the career of popular oceanographer Jacques Costeau, it's eseentially the story of the title character (played wonderfully well by *Bill Murray*), a self-centered and somewha ridiculous aging marine explorer, who is in his decline as a documentary maker. He undertakes a mission to hunt a "Jaguar Shark" who allegedly killed his crewmate. On the way he meets a young man (*Owen Wilson*) who claims to be his son and a reporter who wants to cover the story (*Cate Blanchett*).

The bulk of the movie deals with Zissou's persona and his relationships with the people around him. The film walks a curious line between dry humor (with some scenes that could have drawn inspiration from _Monty Python_) and serious drama, which may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Bill Murray does a scintillating job as Zissou, portraying him as an essentially ridiculous an self-centered man who will do anything for a good camera moment. He manages to gain our empathy without cheap oh-pity-me dramatic scenes and the exploration of Zissou's relationship with his son is one of the high points of the film.

All the other roles are undoubtedly secondary to Zissou's and meant to expose different shades of HIS character. Nonetheless the high profile actors who play them (*Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Willeim Dafoe, Angelica Hutson, Jeff Goldblum*) do a great supporting job and keep our interest in the film despite some of its weaknesses.

The film also looks terrific with awesome use of bright colors (the DVD's on Criterion so you know you're getting one of the best presentations). David Bowie songs feature predominantly in the soundtrack and make a nice audio complement to the onscreen happenings.

If you're at all interested in offbeat offerings, you certainly should check this one out.[/FONT]


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## Culhwch (Dec 4, 2005)

I loved it. I had heard some very negative reviews, so I went into it not expecting a great deal, but I thought it was done really well. It certainly wasn't a laugh-out loud comedy (though there were moments) but dry humour is much more my thing, so maybe that was it. I can definitely see why some people dislikedit, though....


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## Thunderchild (Dec 5, 2005)

i had mixed feelings about it - one one hand i thought it was really slow paced but some of the jokes where gold, especially the ones about the students


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## Dolorous Edd (Dec 5, 2005)

I really enjoyed it...... But i honestly couldn't tell you why. Very odd film.


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## Alysheba (Dec 7, 2005)

I ordered it from Netflix and couldn't get through the first 1/2 hour. It bored me to tears.


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## Ahdkaw (Dec 7, 2005)

a very enjoyable film, a comedy not of your average fare I would say, but it's Bull Murray, and you can't knock Bill Murray. Yes, very enjoyable if not slightly odd.


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## Trey Greyjoy (Dec 10, 2005)

Outstanding film for lovers of film. Many many refererences and homage paid to other great works. Ive watched it 3 times and discover new tidbits each time. 
Its truly a movie for movie lovers and not for those looking for spectacle or slapstick comedy.


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