Isle of Dogs

Isle of Dogs

This might be Wes Anderson's weirdest film. It's natural to compare it to Fantastic Mr. Fox because it's stop-motion animated, features a rivalry between humans and talking animals, and the animals speak in a very understated way, but tonally Isle of Dogs is entirely its own thing.

To provide some context, it feels like everyone is now familiar with Wes Anderson's films and the tropes that come with them because there are so many parody videos and sketches that point them out (the dry humor, the centered cinematography, the quirkiness, the distinct sets and costumes, etc.). These parodies are fun if they're done right and actually point out something new about his films, but they can also sometimes feel like criticism of Anderson for choosing style over substance and/or being lazy and stealing from himself, neither of which are actually true. Anderson is a great writer and takes years to properly develop his films and the unique worlds that they each inhabit. Of course he has a distinct visual style that he enjoys, as well as certain character dynamics (especially father/son relationships), but he tells many different well-crafted stories within that framework and always has distinct and interesting characters, strong emotions, great humor, and fully-explored concepts and worlds.

Grand Budapest Hotel was a slight turn in Anderson's style due to its adventurous nature and surprising bouts of violence, and Isle of Dogs swerves a lot further into that lane than it does into Fantastic Mr. Fox's. It's bristly and tough (with characters that actually use minor PG-level swearing instead of saying "cuss", a decent amount of fights that actually have physical consequences, etc.), the storytelling is more fragmented (sideplots, lots of flashbacks, etc.), and it actually gets political in a way that actually feels smart instead of overly preachy. The humor is often subtle nearly to the point of hidden, though some jokes are closer to the surface than others. Whereas all of Anderson's other films are comedies with heavy doses of drama, this feels more like adventure film with actual danger that also happens to be frequently funny. The tone is consistent, it's just unlike anything else Anderson has done.

The characters are more subtle, with Anderson actually taking his time to slowly unravel these characters in ways that are sometimes bizarre, but they're almost all unique and memorable. Several of the characters have quite a bit of backstory, as well as some fun surprises that I wouldn't dare to spoil. The only characters I have any issue with are actually the main group of dogs (other than Bryan Cranston's Chief). They're just not as fleshed out or interesting as anyone else in the film, and instead feel like simple, amusing side characters. I would've liked to have seen them with more distinct personality traits, especially since they're all voiced by such wonderful actors.

The visuals are gorgeous, which is no surprise. It's been a few days since I've seen the film and my brain is till poring over all of the beautiful images the film creates. There's a consistent red/black/white motif, but every once in a while there's a scene with entirely new colors and it only causes the movie to be all the more engaging. I also love how so many scenes have peripheral business going on, with characters and objects that just happen to be moving around independent of the central focus of the shot. There's a lot going on visually, which alone will make it rewarding for multiple viewings.

People have started talking about the cultural appropriation aspect, which makes sense and I don't want to try and diffuse anyone else's argument with my own privileged perspective. I personally was not offended because I didn't notice any stereotypes or mean-spiritedness in the film, and it all seems to be done with great respect and love for both the style and the culture, including having the Japanese characters actually speak Japanese (though this has actually become a source of criticism because it makes them appear foreign in the otherwise English language film). Again, this is just how I personally felt about this aspect of the film, and while I would hope that it doesn't leave anyone feeling alienated or other'd, if it does I want those people to be able to have their voices heard.

I highly recommend checking out this movie, whether you're a Wes Anderson fan or not, because it's gorgeous, meticulously detailed, well-written, well-acted, funny, memorable, and, most importantly, a deep breath of fresh air. It's an original film that's worth the price of seeing it on the big screen. Support independent film!