As stylish as it is pointless

Rating: 5/10 (7 January 2013)

I was excited by the beginning of this film, which was quirky, funny, visually striking, and just plain weird. I was hoping that finally, Anderson had made a movie I would love as much as The Royal Tennenbaums.
Alas, it didn't happen. The movie is endlessly stylish and quirky, but it never connects emotionally. The characters made me think of those in Hal Hartley movies, conversing obliquely, but while Hartley's films, at their best, allow misfits to connect in odd, sometimes touching ways, Anderson's characters are just odd for the sake of being odd, and the disconnected conversations feel like they're just weird for the sake of being weird rather than because Anderson has something to say about finding connections in a disconnected world. Because of this, I just didn't see the movie as having any point or purpose.
There were good moments, and the stylish visuals and general odd tone kept me somewhat entertained, but I'd say this is yet another miss for Anderson, who I have lower expectations for with each movie he puts out.