Our newest editor is Kerry Weber, a talented young woman (well, young to me!) who had previously worked at Catholic Digest. We're delighted to have her, and I'm even more delighted that she's a great writer and reviewer as well, who has submitted this review of the new Wes Anderson film "Fantastic Mr Fox."
The world of director Wes Anderson is one in which color, slow-motion and classic rock play roles as prominent as the dysfunctional-yet-loving characters that grace the screen. The world of director Wes Anderson is one in which color, slow-motion and classic rock play roles as prominent as the dysfunctional-yet-loving characters that grace the screen. Anderson’s latest film, Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the book by Roald Dahl, is no exception. Mr. Fox and his family and friends live in a land colored exclusively in autumnal reds, yellows, oranges and browns. Their homes and farms are meticulously arranged, and one can occasionally catch the harmonious sound of the Beach Boys in the distance. The stop-motion animation doesn’t come close to the approximating the smooth movements of a real-life fox, and that is part of the film’s charm. The whimsy allows viewers to easily enter into the world of Roald Dahl, through the dry wit and existential angst for which Anderson is known. The result is a place where foxes strut on two legs, wear tiny suits and have checkered pasts. But Mr. Fox and his friends also live in a land with more pragmatism and depth than the quirky animation suggests.
Read the rest here. And don't miss John Anderson's review of the amazing new movie "Precious," which will appear in your mailboxes next week. But here's a sneak peak from Mr. Anderson, who also reviews for Variety and writes regularly for the NY Times Arts & Leisure section. Anderson compares the new movie to the 1966 Robert Bresson classic "Au Hasard Balthazar."