rushmore (1998)

if such movies like the royal tenenbaums or the life aquatic with steve zissou, or even the fantastic mr. fox left you scratching your head in wonder of how it managed to force you into fits of laughter in moments that really shouldn't make one laugh....... then look forward to another case of curious amusement in the shape and form of rushmore. wes anderson (responsible for previously mentioned movies) is the guy to blame for this genius-like showcase of style and wit. 

so whats it about? well it's about a failing student called max fischer who attends an extremely prestigious school, and the danger of expulsion that  ultimately shapes his life. the student in question is the bright shining star of film, and i'll admit i'm a huge fan, jason schwartzman (you've probably seen him in i heart huckabees, or marie antoinette). between him and anderson, you're bound to fall in love with this, basically because the writing, combined with bang on brilliant comedic timing is so god damn good (pardon my french). 

lighting up the screen alongside schwartzman are the supporting roles played perfectly by bill murray, a rich and extremely unhappy business owner who develops a weird relationship to max, and olivia williams, the teacher in which max falls madly in love with. its a quirky and questionable love triangle between the three. the hilarity comes, mostly, from the adult-like nature of 15 year-old max, who in many attempts tries to sweet talk miss cross (williams) and who commands his friend (murray) in an authoritarian type manner. 

there is a definite style in the film-making by wes anderson, and if you've seen previous hits you will recognise the super stylised vision achieved in each shot and the incredibly dry wit, which just oozes out each line. its amazing how these beauties, including rushmore, can seem so effortless. look...if ever you're in the mood to laugh, but also come away feeling like you've seen something that you can un-shamefully admit to watching, then rushmore is the movie for you. actually, you know what...while you're at it, have a wes anderson marathon. you wont regret it.