Wes Anderson’s career is bifurcated between his earlier and later works, with his stop-motion adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox marking the point where things veered into the cartoonishly artificial. His early films had their share of stylistic flourishes: absurdly intricate miniature sets, obsessive symmetry, props so fussed-over they became punchlines. But they grounded these affectations in emotional sincerity. From Bottle Rocket to The Darjeeling Limited, Anderson made films that, despite their quirks, earnestly wrestled with themes of familial estrangement, existential loneliness, and just not fitting in. Since Fox though, emotion has become Anderson’s kryptonite. Something to be avoided at all costs. Read More