Wes, the Wilsons and (lest we forget) Kumar

I was introduced to the wonderful (and symmetrical) world of Wes Anderson in 1996 at the tender age of... uh, never mind.

I was lucky enough to interview him, along with the wonderful (and not so symmetrical) Wilson brothers, after the release of his (or should I say their?) first film Bottle Rocket.

I remember the day like it was yesterday.

I had seen the movie a few days earlier and really liked it. In fact, I remember thinking it was hilarious.

Anderson was an unknown director and the Wilsons (Luke and Owen) were nobodies (relatively speaking) so even though I was a little nervous about the interview, which I conducted for my illustrious university newspaper The Concordian, I wasn't completely overwrought by the fact that "Wes" was calling me from Los Angeles...

Fast forward to 2014.

I'm unknown - and a nobody (relatively speaking) - and if either Wes Anderson or the Wilson brothers called me I'd have a conniption.

But back to 1996.

I was at home, chillin' in my papasan, when the phone rang and I nonchalantly picked it up. After some brilliant small talk and a couple of insightful questions for Wes, Luke and Owen hopped on the line and I dazzled them with my journalistic cleverness.

That's how I remember it, at least.

Since then, they've all gone on to movie-making genius. I, on the other hand, have moved on from a papasan to an Ikea loveseat. 

Good times.

From The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited to Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson has created a series of brilliant, museum-worthy films with a distinctive visual and narrative style.

Not to mention symmetrical.

 
And then there's Kumar. Kumar is Kumar Valavhadas Pallana, an "Indian character actor and vaudevillian," who appeared in several of Anderson's films and, sadly, died in October 2013.  

 RIP kumar: actor, plate spinner, yogi

I couldn't tell you why, exactly, I love Wes Anderson's films so much. True, the actors he chooses are amazing, the music he selects is transporting and his aesthetic is simply incredible, but there's something more.

Like some strange coincidences...

The address of the family home in The Royal Tenenbaums was 111 Archer Avenue. The address of my store in Toronto was 111 Roncesvalles.

The Grand Budapest Hotel was inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig. The Collected Stories of Stefan Zweig was published by Pushkin Press. 

The name of my pop-up boutique was Pushk (short for Pushkin).

And then there's this... my all-time favourite movie scene ever!

by way of the green line bus

   

 

 

The wonderful world of Wes A.

I was lucky. When I was a university student, I had the great fortune of interviewing three then-unknown, rising stars: Owen C. Wilson, Luke Wilson and Wes Anderson. The occasion was the debut of their first feature film, Bottle Rocket. 
 

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1996. I was living on Queen Mary Road, in Montreal, and they were living in Los Angeles. Suddenly, in the middle of the afternoon my phone rang and I - obviously - picked up.

"Hello?" I said timidly. "Hi, it's Wes, and Owen, on speakerphone."

Holy %$@&!

As the interview went on, I realized I, or they, were onto something big. "None of the actors in this film are well-known," said Anderson, "but some will be eventually."

No %$@& Sherlock. 

Wes, Owen and Luke are now, over 20 years later, very well-known indeed. Since Bottle Rocket, Anderson has made Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Hotel Chevalier, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Grand Budapest Hotel, to be released in 2014. The Wilson brothers have joined him on many of these, in addition to starring in their very own feature films. And let's not forget dear Mr. Kumar Pallana.       

What made me think of this interview, conducted so many moons ago, was my recent viewing of Moonrise Kingdom. Another peek into Anderson's fascinating mind, the movie features many of the images and themes present in his other films: maps, hand-drawn pictures, old movie-making equipment and, of course, children/adults that never grow up.

"It's like Charlie Brown's world," said Anderson back in 1996. "They always wear the same clothes and you never see their parents." The more things change the more they stay the same because the same can be said about Moonrise Kingdom.

After watching Anderson's latest, I had an irrepressible urge to watch my all-time favourite: The Royal Tenenbaums. Though I've watched it countless times, it makes me laugh, and cry, every time.

By way of the Green Line bus remains my favourite scene in a movie - like ever - and for me, is a visual and audio representation of true love. Gwyneth Paltrow acts the %$@& out of it without saying a word while the breeze in her hair speaks volumes.

Pure poetry.