FILM CHALLENGE: 154) The Fantastic Mr. Fox

154) The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Director: Wes Anderson

Year: 2009

Plot Summary: It is the story of one Mr. Fox and his wild-ways of hen heckling, turkey taking and cider sipping, nocturnal, instinctive adventures. But he has to put his wild days behind him and do what fathers do best: be responsible. Yet He is too rebellious and too wild. So he tries "just one more raid" on the three nastiest, meanest farmers that are Boggis, Bunce and Bean.

Prior to its release, there was a lot of scepticism about Wes Anderson's production of the beloved Roald Dahl story The Fantastic Mr. Fox. What would this American indie auteur, so popular for his off-beat style and quirky sense of humour, do with the film? Or, moreover, what would it do to him? Would it symbolise a departure from everything we've grown to love about Anderson and has he sold himself out to the mainstream? However, from the very first moment, featuring his unique style of filmmaking blended into the world of stop motion animation, it's clear that the director has created another work of genius.

It is, after all, not just a kids film. In fact, The Fantastic Mr. Fox has more in common with the director's previous work, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zisou, than it does any Pixar or Disney effort. While children will surely be enthralled with the slapstick moments, the vibrant colours and the constantly upbeat tone, the director has also created a spectacularly woven, philosophical and existential family drama here.

Mr. Fox, for most of the film, struggles with the idea of what it means to be a fox. He's caught between two worlds: The world of the father and husband in which he must look after his son and wife and the world of the wild animal who's purpose in life is to hunt food. Of course, this is all completely unrealistic in the world of foxes, and nor does Anderson attempt to make it so, but he and writer Noah Baumbach nevertheless have a lot to say about what it means for a human being to reach the middle of his life and be staring at the inevitable black hole of the future.

It even has Freudian aspects as our hero, in one scene, has his tail shot off, symbolically stripping him of his manhood and making him further question which of those two worlds he belongs to.

Furthermore, while Mr. Fox is the main character here, every member of his family is well-developed and adds another layer to the film's themes. For example, his son, Ash, also suffers a similar crisis as he tries to discover his path in life, wanting to be an athlete but feeling unable to compare with his Dad and cousin's success. While, also, Mrs. Fox's being stuck in the middle of her husband's crisis provides an aching and often moving look at the effects it has on a marriage and a family.

The writing is, excusing the obvious pun, fantastic at balancing the fact that the movie must accommodate a young audience with the usual unconventionality and complexity that Baumback and Anderson have brought to their previous films. It's as sharp, quick witted, off-beat and charming as they have ever been but is, nonetheless, simple enough for most children to understand. Therefore, The Fantastic Mr. Fox works both as a genre piece and another collection to the auteurs' catalogue.

Of course though, it's Wes Anderson's style that is the most wonderful aspect here. The gorgeous stop-motion animation and the unique framing and camerawork he brings to his features are brilliant, providing scenes so entertaining and eye-catching that you'll be left in wonder.

Picture an animated version of Oceans 11, mix it with The Kids Are All Right and American Beauty and then sprinkle a dash of Wallace And Gromit. You have The Fantastic Mr. Fox. A film that elevates you to a level of bliss that you'll rarely find in cinema and is endlessly entertaining even on my fourth watch.

4/5

By Daniel Sarath with 1 comment