have u seen lynch's lost highway? is it more disturbing than that?

easily!

Here's the problem with Wes Anderson: he filigrees logically, fatally, once you accept the conceits of the movie. No-one says he needs to be a portentious, as say, Tarkovsky.The conceits are the odd characters who pirouette with obsessive simple-mindedness. The movie ends up being a house only of crazy aunts in the attic- in every room. So this gets tiresome if only because of the brilliance of some of the writing where because of some kind of reluctance he cannot play it straight, he must embellish, the architect who becomes a pastry chef.
Plus, get a suit that fits, dude.

Here's the problem with Wes Anderson: he filigrees logically, fatally, once you accept the conceits of the movie. No-one says he needs to be a portentious, as say, Tarkovsky.
Anderson's conceits are the odd characters who pirouette with obsessive simple-mindedness. His movies ends up being a house only of crazy aunts in the attic- in every room. So this gets tiresome if only because of the brilliance of some of the writing where because of some kind of reluctance he cannot play it straight, he must embellish, the architect who becomes a pastry chef.
Plus, get a suit that fits, dude.

To comment on everything said here: Before Sunset and Before Sunrise are amazing films. They were kind of marketed as standard 'chick flick' fare but they aren't at all. Linklater also made a relatively unknown film called Tape that takes place entirely in one room with three people just talking and it isn't boring for a minute. And of course Waking Life is superb. I don't think Linklater gets enough credit.

Ben: I know what you're saying about film snobs. I'm a film geek but not a snob. I like a lot of stupid comedies like Wedding Crashers and Zoolander and I think they take just as much talent as the more 'worthy' films, but there's just not as much to talk about with comedies. 'Remember that part?? That was funny wasn't it?' ???

Xenicon I agree with your take on Wes Anderson. If he doesn't change his formula a bit he's going to become self-parody.

Re; Lynch, I'm not a huge fan of his but his last two films 'The Straight Story' and 'Mulholland Drive' were masterpieces. And Twin Peaks is definately worth checking. A funny-serious, supernatural soap-opera-parody that gets more utterly bonkers the more the mystery unravels, to the point where it borders on meaningless insanity, yet it's totally accessible and familiar at the same time. Arguably the most radical tv show ever made. In the U.S. it seems the major networks cant get past the 'cop show/doctor show/lawyer show' formula. And they wonder why they're losing viewers?

Win Wenders: only saw a couple of his, neither of which I liked at all.

I love him, Rushmore being my favourite film. I then dragged about 6 people to screening of life acquatic, I came out enthusing and 4 attendees looked blankly at me and stated they hated it, but were too shy to walk out. Ahh owen wilson,,,,hhmmmmm, hmmm lovely texan broken noised buttery boy....