Going through which movie I wanted to watch, I looked at some old favorites from before I started reviewing, and that’s where I cam upon Rushmore. Rushmore is one of Anderson’s first films, but, personally, I think it actually tops Grand Budapest Hotel as my favorite. Unlike Grand Budapest Hotel, the stylistic side of Wes Anderson is quite subtle, which I really liked. Having it toned down allows the world to feel very real, making Wes Anderson’s odd comedy hit harder. As is with most of his films, the comedy is driven by the characters, this is certainly true here. That is the reason lines like “I saved Latin” work so incredibly well here, because of the characters that have been established, allowing the circumstance to mean something.
This character work wouldn’t… well… work without the excellent performances of Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray. The characters don’t yet have the dryness in most of Anderson’s work, but they have more life to them. Both ways work, but I personally prefer the subtleties of Rushmore. The general idea of this being in high school, and opening up to who you really are, is an excellent theme for the movie. But, I will say, certain parts where Max tries to get close to the teacher can be uncomfortable. This element of uncomfortable is likely due to my problems with the middle of the film. Normally, this is the part in the film where things become extremely heightened, but, here, it feels like the exact opposite. The middle felt slow, it was only the beginning and the end that admittedly had me entertained.
Overall, Rushmore is probably one of Wes Anderson’s best movies. And, I’d even say it’s probably the best coming of age story from the 90s, but, it is dragged down by the slow pacing in the middle. 8.9/10
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