Wes Anderson Directed A Christmas Short Film Starring Adrien Brody
It’s been a few years since we last heard from directorWes Anderson, who vanished into thin air following the well-deserved critical and financial success of 2014’sThe Grand Budapest Hotel(which is a masterpiece and very possibly his best movie). Updates on his new stop-motion film, his first since 2009’sFantastic Mr. Fox(another masterpiece and very possibly his second best movie)have been sporadic. And while we’ll have to keep on waiting to learn more about his next feature movie, Anderson has gone and made a Christmas-themed short film starringAdrien Brodythat you’re able to watch right now.
Technically,Come Togetheris a commercial for the Swedish clothing company H&M, but this is a Wes Anderson project down to its bones. Everything that Anderson loves is on full display here: an unplaceable time and location, meticulously detailed sets, casual cynicism offset by a hesitant affection for humanity at its core, and a camera that does its best to transform a three-dimensional world into a two-dimensional plane. It’s delightful. Plus, the train setting and the use of Anderson regular Adrien Brody makes this feel like a weird companion piece toThe Darjeeling Limited(which is not a masterpiece, but is still pretty good).
It may be a four-minute commercial, but let’s face it: the world would be a better place if more commercials were directed by genius filmmakers who work to evoke specific feelings and tell stories rather than just shove a product in your face.
More recently, Anderson collaborated with Prada to makeCastello Cavalcanti, an eight-minute short about a Formula One racer played by Jason Schwartzman who finds himself stranded in a small Italian town after crashing his car.
It’s hard to begrudge Anderson making commercials when they’re this much fun, especially since they don’t water down his voice in any way. Plus, this will tide us over until his new movie,which is apparently set “Japan-inspired” and about a dog and stars the voices of Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum and Bob Balaban, is finished.
