The Life Aquatic with Pearl
Issue #2
🎬 Welcome to This Week's Picks
What's up, FilmRunners?! Brian is knee-deep in renovations, so for the next few issues, I'll be taking the lead on both picks per issue. Since this issue is going out late, we'll be publishing our next one on December 30th to get back to our regular cadence.
Jake’s Pick: The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Synopsis
With a plan to exact revenge on a legendary shark that killed his partner, oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) rallies a crew that includes his estranged wife, a journalist, and a man who may or may not be his son. IMDB
Director
Runtime
1 hour and 59 minutes.
Trailer
Why
Keeping with my theme of auteurs, I am choosing to watch Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as part of this week’s issue. I am a huge Wes Anderson fan. I have been wanting to re-watch The Life Aquatic for some time now, as I haven’t seen it in nearly 15 years. I didn’t know who Anderson was at the time and watched it on a recommendation from a friend. It wasn’t until I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel (a masterpiece in my opinion) that I started to pay attention to who he was.
Anderson makes liberal use of symmetrical and centred framing in his shots. He doesn’t stop there. There is a symmetry to his shots and scenes that he uses to create a unique rhythm, connections between characters, and humour. He also uses colour effectively to deepen character relationships and enrich the setting. By employing consistent, vibrant palettes throughout the film, he establishes a sense of continuity while contrasting the story with its environment.
I can’t wait to revisit this movie now that I’ve seen more of his films.
Jake’s Other Pick: Pearl (2022)
Synopsis
In 1918, a young woman on the brink of madness pursues stardom in a desperate attempt to escape the drudgery, isolation, and lovelessness of life on her parents' farm. IMDB
Director
Runtime
1 hour and 43 minutes
Trailer
Why
This is my first selection that was released somewhat recently. Somehow, I ended up watching the X film series in the completely wrong order. I caught MaXXXine in theatres, not realizing it tied into X and Pearl. Both of those had been on my list to watch, but I just hadn’t gotten around to them. I ended up loving MaXXXine. I loved the pacing, the way they foreshadowed upcoming moments, and Mia Goth’s performance, in my opinion, knocked it out of the park. Since then, I caught X, and now I just need to watch Pearl to cross it off my list.
How Pearl came to be is interesting. Production of X took place in New Zealand during 2021, when COVID restrictions were still in place. Faced with a two-week quarantine upon entering the country, West reached out to Mia Goth about writing Pearl and extending production to include the second film. They set about writing the script, and just as filming was about to start for X, they got the green light by A24 to film Pearl with the same crew once X was wrapped up.
🎥 Reviews of Last Week's Picks (Caution, there may be spoilers)
Jake’s Previous Pick: GoodFellas (1990)
Director
Runtime
2 hours and 26 minutes.
Trailer
Jake’s Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)
Holy shit, what a movie. I always knew it was a classic, but I had no idea how much. That opening scene, when Henry, Jimmy, and Tommy open the trunk of their car to find the guy they murdered still alive, Tommy finishes the job, and Henry’s narration kicks in with, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster,” is unforgettable. The abrupt violence and that line hook you in for the whole movie.
It also gives you a taste of Scorsese’s bold use of colours, with the trio illuminated in red during the scene. My next big takeaway is how much it influenced pop culture. I always assumed most mafia references came from all the mob movies and TV shows over the years. I had no idea how concentrated they were in Goodfellas.
The tracking shot Scorsese uses when Henry takes his girlfriend, Karen Friedman, to dinner is incredible. You can see how someone could be taken in by Henry’s world. It would feel like royalty, at least to some degree, during that moment.
Despite coming out in 1990, I’d still like to avoid spoilers where possible, so I won’t go into much more detail. This was pure cinema.
Brian’s Previous Pick: Stagecoach (1939)
Synopsis
A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process. IMDB
Director
Runtime
1 hour 36 minutes.
Trailer
Jake’s Review
⭐⭐⭐✨ (3 and a half stars)
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. As Brian mentioned, the depiction of Indigenous Americans is outdated and problematic. While this reflects the stereotypes and cultural mindset of Hollywood at the time, it’s still worth acknowledging as part of its context. That said, the film itself is undeniably iconic. Its influence is apparent throughout, shaping the Western genre and resonating in later films.
The pacing is excellent, the dialogue is sharp, and the tension keeps you hooked. If you want a glimpse into a key moment in Hollywood filmmaking, this is an excellent choice. Watching it, I couldn’t help but draw a line to the last Western I remember seeing, Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight 76 years later.
I was a big fan of the way the film’s larger-than-life shots really showcased the journey. It also surprised me to see dissolve cuts used so effectively here. In my ignorance, I hadn’t realized they went that far back. I thought it would be fun to follow that thought with a fun fact: a quick search revealed that the first use of a dissolve was in George Méliès' 1899 film Cinderella.
All in all, this has been worth watching and I would recommend it.
🖋 Closing Note
Thanks for reading! See you in two weeks one week with our thoughts on this week’s picks and fresh recommendations.