Isle of Dogs (2018)
Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his dog.
Director:
Wes AndersonStars:
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 March 2018 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Isla de perros See more »Filming Locations:
UKCompany Credits
Production Co:
Stop-motion animation is a remarkable art
form. There is a certain luddite aspect to it, as the powers of modern
computers could render in hours what it takes weeks for artists to
physically build. But there is arguably no cinematic medium greater at
conveying levels of detail or handmade craftsmanship. It ultimately
makes for a unique screening experience, as you find yourself drawn into
each sumptuous frame as you're embedded in the story.
Of course, not every filmmaker can pull off
making a stop-motion animated movie... but writer/director Wes Anderson
absolutely can. In 2009 he made his first bold move into the medium,
constructing the brilliant, funny and beautiful Fantastic Mr. Fox, and now he's back with Isle Of Dogs
-- a film that in many ways represents the best aspects of Anderson as
an artist; pairing his wonderful auteur vision with a wholly original,
weird world born out of inspiration from man's best friend and an
immense appreciation for Japanese culture and art.
Based on a story developed by Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Kunichi Nomura, Isle of Dogs
takes audiences 20 years into the future, as Major Kobayashi (Nomura)
of Japan, a renowned cat-lover, announces that outbreaks of snout flu
among the canine population has made them too dangerous to be among
mankind. Despite the opposition party arguing that a cure is possible
with proper time and research, it is decreed that all dogs be moved to
Trash Island, starting with Spots (Liev Schreiber) -- a dog from
Kobayashi's own household who watches over the mayor's young ward, Atari
(Koyu Rankin).
Six months later, the entire dog population
has moved to Trash Island, all of them suffering from the effects of
snout flu while just trying to survive. Chief (Bryan Cranston), Rex
(Edward Norton), Boss (Bill Murray), Duke (Jeff Goldblum) and King (Bob
Balaban) run in a pack together -- despite all of them being alphas --
but find their daily routine searching for scraps of food interrupted
when a small plane crashes nearby. It's discovered that the young,
injured pilot is none other than Atari, who has gone against his
guardian's wishes in hopes of finding his lost dog. A language barrier
separates them (Atari only speaks Japanese while the dogs speak in
English), and Chief, a former stray among a group of domesticated
friends, doesn't feel the rescue is his responsibility. But before long,
they all join together to venture across the island and discover what
really happened to Spots.
Because Fantastic Mr. Fox was an adaptation from a beloved children's novel, Isle Of Dogs
marks the first time that Wes Anderson has truly been able to
physically build a world from the ground up -- and it's such a
mesmerizing experience that I internally questioned being able to
properly review it having only seen it once. The film is in equal parts
inspired by the works of Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki, respectively
reflected in the dark, stark city and the fantastical,
animal-controlled Trash Island, but it also never lets you forget that
this is a Wes Anderson experience with its use of creative split screen,
captioned montages, and stunning, long panning shots. Details like
gusts of wind flowing through fur, colorful light refracted in broken
bottles, and the intermittent dog sneeze feel remarkably precise while
always feeling entirely natural; and the use of the medium even makes
silhouetted conversations and cartoon-like, dust cloud-obscured brawls
feel special. It can get to the point where it practically feels
overwhelming -- especially because of the abundant use of subtitles --
but it just suggests that the second viewing will be that much more
rewarding.
Aesthetically, Isle of Dogs brings to
the table much of what film fans have grown to love about Wes
Anderson's work, but there's also a certain amount of maturation from
the storyteller, as well. The writer/director has long been associated
with dysfunctional family narratives like those found in The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, and more, but this film, following The Grand Budapest Hotel,
shows Anderson legitimately branching out (obviously the not-America
setting is a big part of that as well). Crafting some fascistic
parables, the movie is certainly more political than any of his past
work, but rather than feeling heavy-handed or overbearing, it's balanced
by his natural quirk and charm to be perfectly digestible. It's an
excellent evolution for the filmmaker, and a perfect clap-back to anyone
who ever called him one-note.
Of course, it also wouldn't be a Wes Anderson
film without his troupe of regular players -- which is a group enhanced
by a number of new stars joining the family for Isle of Dogs.
The strongest role unquestionably belongs to Bryan Cranston's Chief, who
is supported with a deep backstory, effective arc, and legitimate
transformation -- and while the other characters aren't drawn as boldly,
they're still entertainingly well-utilized. Among the main group of
dogs, each has their own special affectation that helps them stand out,
from Goldblum's gossip-hungry Duke to Norton's plan-devising Rex, and
while they don't take over the movie at any given moment, they do make
for fantastic background. What's more, Anderson's familiarity with each
of their voices means that he knows the exact kind of material they can
deliver, and the result is laughs from beginning to end.
Isle of Dogs is the ninth film from
Wes Anderson, and an excellent showing, telling fans that he has many
more and many different kinds of stories still to tell. Not only is it a
fantastic return to the stop-motion animated medium, but with the help
of an incredible number of talented artists and performers, it's a movie
that plays on the best of the writer/directors sensibilities, while
accessing entirely brand new areas of it.
Thanks for reading and have fun watching movies.
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