Bottle Rocket (1996)

This is the first movie from the people that brought us Rushmore, and our first real look at the Wilson brothers. This is the story of a group of wanna' be crooks trying to figure out what they are doing with their lives. This movie is kind of hit and miss; some parts of it are incredibly funny, but at some points, it is just a lot of talking. I watched this movie because a good friend of mine loves the film, and I understand why, but it is just a little too much 'in your head' comedy for me. This does give us a great glimpse at the Wilson brothers. Both Owen and Luke are terrific in Bottle Rock; without them it would be a complete waste of time. More so than Rushmore, I would say this movie was a good indication of what was to come in films like The Royal Tennenbaums. This movie was a little slow, I suppose; in fact, it really does not go anywhere at all. I understand that was the plan for the film, and the moment to moment humor does help carry us through, but I feel like a little bit more could have been done with the plot. The ending of this film is both ironic and sad. The little twist at the end is pretty funny, but the movie closes in kind of depressing fashion. This actually adds to the complexity of the movie, and made it more enjoyable overall. I guess a problem that I have is that this movie is made much better by the finale. Personally, I would rather watch a film that is good all the way through and not saved by the end, but it's better than nothing at all. That said, I did like this film, and am glad that I saw it. My wife had no interest, and I can understand that. I give Bottle Rocket 2 and a half stars.