Bottle Rocket

Directed by Wes Anderson, Bottle Rocket details the complications that ensue after three friends (Luke Wilson’s Anthony, Owen Wilson’s Dignan, Robert Musgrave’s Bob) decide to pull off a heist. Filmmaker Anderson, armed with his and Owen Wilson’s screenplay, delivers a thoroughly quirky yet mostly compelling comedy that benefits from the affable efforts of its stars, as both Luke and Owen Wilson turn in completely agreeable work that goes a long way towards smoothing over the erratic narrative’s bumps and lulls. (And it doesn’t hurt, either, that the subplot detailing the tentative romance between Luke Wilson and Lumi Cavazos’ respective characters is legitimately charming and affecting.) And while the picture periodically does feel a little padded-out even at just 91 minutes (ie it’s never not apparent that the movie started its life as a short), Bottle Rocket‘s briskly-paced narrative, which has been augmented with a whole host of appealing asides and digressions, builds towards a satisfying third act that ensures the whole thing concludes on a memorable, positive note – with the end result a solid debut feature for Anderson and both Wilson siblings.

*** out of ****