The Wes Anderson Collection (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
The Wes Anderson Collection is the work of a fervent admirer, which lends it the credibility of passion. Presented in the style of Truffaut's classic book-length interview with Alfred Hitchcock, TWAC misses the mark because Wes Anderson, genius though he may be, is a horrible interview subject. Seitz and Anderson start out strong in the Bottle Rocket section, because there's a lot of story to tell about how Anderson got his start - meeting Owen Wilson, writing the script, shooting the short, finding producers, casing, etc, etc. As soon as we get to Rushmore, those difficulties are almost perfunctory, which leads Seitz, a critic by trade, to theorize about Anderson's movies. Anderson's response to the analysis is in most cases a polite refusal to engage. Anderson turns out to be a director much more invested in the process itself, chalking many of his aesthetic decisions up to a simple, "I like that sort of thing, so I decided to do it in the movie." answer. Still, TWAC is wroth reading for any fan of Anderson's work. The stills and memorabilia that litter the pages are enchanting distractions from a sometimes facile interview. Seitz acquits himself as a critic wonderfully as most of his insights into Anderson's work have the precision of a professional who has done his homework, which leads me to think that Seitz would have served himself better by simply writing a detailed movie-by-movie critical treatment of Anderson's films. The Wes Anderson Collection is a coffee-table book by Matt Zoller Seitz detailing the work of director Wes Anderson, from Bottle Rocket through Moonrise Kingdom. Whether you take “coffee-table book” as an insult or a compliment, there is no escaping the fact that this is exactly what that is: oversized, artsy cover, full of beautiful stills and behind-the-scenes shots coupled with pre-production imagery, images from Anderson’s sources of inspiration, and quirky original artwork. I know that when an author compiles such a book, they of course want people to read it; I also know that when a consumer buys such a book, they often do not.The structure to Seitz’s book is straightforward: each film gets its own section, split into one short introductory essay and one long-form interview between Seitz and Anderson. For a director who doesn’t sit for that many interviews and appearances, that’s a pretty big deal! And for that reason, this book provides a lot of insight into Anderson’s films, his style, and his personal relationship with cinema.What I don’t like about this book, unfortunately, is Seitz’s attitude. Seitz is a film critic himself, but he is also a friend and fan of Anderson, so while he often has intelligent things to say about the films’ content, often his writing, especially in the introductory essays, come across as little more than straight hagiography. Another fault, I find, is his willingness to insert his own reading of the films into each interview. This happens more with the earlier films: Seitz suggests a reading or interpretation and as he continues to expound upon those opinions Anderson’s responses are often little more than, “Hmm,” or “Right.” This happens less in the chapters for more recent films, but it was very frustrating to read through. In an interview with a director I admire, I would appreciate the interviewer to get out of the way and allow the filmmaker to explain himself. If Seitz wanted to write about his own interpretations, he did not have to produce a book entirely comprised of long-form interviews.The Wes Anderson Collection might be simple in structure and overloaded with images, but it is still a worthwhile read for anybody with more than a passing interest in Wes Anderson and his films. Because of its sheer length and the span of films and years it covers, it helps to demystify the Wes Anderson persona, the fictional representation of the real man that is constructed through anecdotes from actors and through the American Express commercial he starred in (playing the role of François Truffaut in Day for Night) several years ago. The Collection allows Anderson to speak for himself about his films, his influences, and his art, and for that reason it is definitely worth checking out for any fan of his. At the very least, there are truly great images on every page.
What do You think about The Wes Anderson Collection (2013)?
Beautiful pictures, terrific interviews, insightful look into Anderson's influences.
—meme28
