The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou ★★ 2004 (R)

Director Ander son's muddled comedy follows the career of oceanographer Steve Zissou (Murray), famed for his series of pop-culture docu mentaries (think Jacques Cousteau). Zis sou's latest mission is to take revenge on the shark that ate his longtime partner (Cassel). Besides his motley crew (includ ing Dafoe and Gambon), there is Zissou's business partner/wife Eleanor (Huston), nosy reporter Jane (Blanchett), and ami able newcomer Ned (Wilson), who may be Steve's illegitimate son, as well as his ar chrival, slick Alistair Hennessey (Goldb lum). The detached and melancholy Mur ray had much better luck with Anderson in “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Rush more.” Here, he appears to be going through the motions as the rest of cast follows along in his wake. 118m/C VHS, DVD . US Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blan chett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldb lum, Michael Gambon, Bud Cort, Seymour Cassel; D: Wes Anderson; W: Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach; C: Robert Yeoman; M: Mark Mothers baugh, Randall Poster.

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