It's not all about the old films.
The art form is alive and well, I assure you.
This week's spotlight is on a current, young, exciting director/writer: Wes Anderson.
Wes Anderson is one of the best things going. His eye for detail and consistency of style aside, his movies have real heart. Like most great artists, his films share certain themes, and like most great directors, he has no qualms about stabbing at the same subjects in an effort to find new meanings and insights in them. This is a quality he shares with Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Francois Truffaut, and many others. His career has been relatively short, yielding only seven films to date, but I can say with complete confidence that I have fallen in love with every one of them.
I would suggest starting with The Royal Tenenbaums (check out its IMDB page here).
The Royal Tenenbaums is easily Anderson's most recognizable film. It's frequently played on television, people dress up as Luke Wilson's character for Halloween, it's got an ensemble A-list cast, and it earned an Oscar nomination for writing. This film really showcases Anderson's dollhouse-like set design, unique and instantly recognizable directing style, and a familiar estranged family theme.
It's also one of the most simultaneously funny and heartbreaking films you'll see.
I'd suggest other films by name, but like I said, he only has seven and they're all spectacular. The only one that might be difficult to appreciate is his first film, Bottle Rocket. I'd save that one for last. It's not that it's a bad film--far from it. It's just not his best.
Check out his page on IMDB, then Netflix the hell out of his discography (mail service only.)
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