Wes Anderson.
Director. Producer. Screenwriter. Actor.
When you hear the name Wes Anderson you immediately sink into a world of pastel coloured furniture and thrift store clothes. Not only is he a cinematic icon but he's the creator of some of the most cult classic, creative and distinctive movies of the 21st century. With his whimsical writing, recurring cast, eclectic soundtracks and enthralling backdrops, films like Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) have opened the doors to what film can be.

With his debut feature film Bottle Rocket releasing in 1996, Anderson has gone on to create a whole meticulous world that is instantly recognisable with an essence of familiarity each time. Creating completely original films in terms of writing and cinematography Anderson is the man behind Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Darjeeling Limited (2007) and Fantastic Mr Fox (2009).



Not only has he owned the world of film but his quirky style and iconic imagery has gained him presence in the fashion world leading to him create advertisements for the likes of H&M and Prada. Whilst his films may be known for their zany cinematography, his character's personal style is a look often imitated. With such a strong brand image, it's no surprise that some of the top names in fashion (see Gucci, Bally and Lacoste) have tried to replicate some of his most prominent characters style on the runway.

What makes Anderson the symbol that he is, is his attention to detail. From location, props and styling to the camera angles he chooses to use, Anderson has his eye on everything. Taking art direction to another level, not only does Anderson create his own playful colour palette that can be often be seen as a direct reflection of the characters mood but he is keen to make sure that symmetry is applied in shots, creating another layer and depth of his cinematography.

Perhaps the reason why Wes Anderson has built such a cult following is his use of repetition and recurring factors. One of these being his use of a recurring star-studded cast with the likes of Bill Murray, Edward Norton, the Wilson brothers, Jeff Goldblum and Adrien Brody being taken out of their usual roles to be thrown into Anderson's comedic world. This familiarity makes the hearing the release of a Wes Anderson film something to make a game of by placing bets on which of Andersons loyal celebrities will be featured in the film.

Whilst Anderson's films are predictable in style and cast the content is almost always never. Anderson manages to create authentic and creative plots and scripts every time, ranging from life in a hotel to children eloping. With themes of grief, loss of innocence, dysfunctional families, parental abandonment, adultery, sibling rivalry and unlikely friendships Anderson finds ways to take these weighty topics, douse them in dark humour and show them in a way that has a certain warmness to it.

With undeniable talent, fans of Anderson may be surprised to hear that he's not a hit with everyone. Stylistically, Anderson is very niche so his films generally only appeal to a quirky, open-minded and creative type person making it hard for him to become the mainstream sensation that we feel he should be. Not only is it his cinematic style choices that cause issue but his blatant lack of diversity in his films.


Anderson has been known to cast very few POC (people of colour) in supporting roles, these of which include Kumar Pallana, Danny Glover, Waris Ahluwalia, Tony Revolori and... oh no, that's all of them. Don't even think about seeing one of these as the front and centre main character. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) only featured one POC, in a supporting role with three lines the entire movie. Even then the supporting roles come with a sense of stereotypical tones both blatant and subtle, that seem to be there for the amusement of the white characters in focus.

There's no denying that Anderson is not flat out racist but perhaps just needs to brush up on social issues such as representation, diversity and cultural appropriation... you too Sofia Coppola.

Having just turned 48, it will be interesting to see if Anderson will ever take a more mature and serious angle with his work. With such a great platform and large audience, creating something with meaning in the modern day world whilst maintaining his stylistic choices and comedic approach could be a good move for the director.

Nevertheless whatever Anderson does next is sure to be a hit in the indie world and if not, I look forward to making some money betting that Bill Murray will be seen in the next one... and extra if he's wearing a hat.