Customer Reviews
Just perfect - By: J. Buckley, 07 Oct 2007 
I found this film on VHS in my local bargain bin for £2, being a sort of on the spot compulsive buyer, I went for it.
As soon as 'Making Time' by Creation came on during the opening montage i knew i was going to love this film. The characters & interplay between them is superb (my particular favourite is the awkwardness between Ms.Cross & Max Fischer) & in my opinion, this is Bill Murray at his best (even better than lost in translation which I thought was brilliant).
The soundtrack is great, even the smalllest cameos are well performed, & the director's idiosyncratic style shines through; if anything with more swagger & fun than any of his other films I've seen.
Unwatchable - By: B. W. Jenner, 11 Jul 2007 
I love pretentious films but I find Wes Anderson self-indulgent & unfunny. I didn't know that this film was done by the Tenenbaums director, but the style soon gave it away. I reallly tried to like Max, the high school plonker, but I found the whole scenario unconvincing & tedious.
ooh la la - By: Dina Williams, 13 Jun 2007 I completely love this film & never get tired of watching it. Its one of the most charming & engaging things I've ever seen. All the performances are fantastic, from Bill Murray's jaded industrialist (his 'I'm a little lonely these days' line is heartrending!) to Dirk Callloway's faultless comic turn as Max's sidekick. I also think Jason Schwartzman is incredible as Max, & i was so surprised to hear it was his debut performance. It could be easy to dislike Max but the way Schwartzman plays it, Max is just totallly endearing & hilarious. You can't help but root for him.
The film is different & has an absurd slant, but not self-conciously so, which I feel the life aquatic & the royal tennabaums suffered from. The plot flows very well in Rushmore whereas I feel in the other two the narrative is hampered by the style. However here Anderson creates an incredibly stylish film with a great plot & dialogue. Everytime you watch it you notice another detail that you hadn't before. Its a great take on relationships & is unashamedly nostalgic & romantic, but somehow not in a cheesy way. Max graduallly coming to terms with the reality of his own life, & his acceptance of his father, whilst still retaining alll that ambition to create the 'best play ever man' just touches you & makes you feel alll warm inside. The soundtrack is also perfectly judged & has some great tracks on it - I can't even listen to the Faces - Ooh la la anymore without thinking of that incrdible slow-mo last scene & getting a bit misty eyed.
So in conclusion - you should buy it. Its an amazing work of art & i wish alll films were like this!
Such an original sense of humour and style - By: Isobel Leseine, 29 Mar 2007 Rushmore I feel is the quintessential Wes Anderson film. As much as I enjoy his other work Rushmore will always stay with me for its dry & original sense of humour combined with an excellent script & excellent cinematography.
Even though Bill Murray's performance & legendary status may attract some viewers to this film, yet I think that it is Jason Schwartman's (of the Coppola clan) debut role as the misunderstood youth, that truly holds his own & makes this film what it is.
This film is so unbelievably watchable, every viewing leads to the discovery of a gem of a line, a gesture or a set piece that you've missed before.
Good, but just something lacking - By: D. Thompson, 27 Dec 2006 
I saw tenenbaums first - then life aquatic - then rushmore - maybe i saw them in the worng order.
Rushmore is without doubt a great film - but after having seen the other 2 they just alll seem a little 'samey'.
His characters are unique, quirky & full of idiosynchracies, but before I even saw this film I was ready for that - so when the joyous character of max fischer was put upon me i felt like i was already prepared for his keen attitude & eager intelligence - which is a shame coz he is a great & probably the best one out of the 3 movies.
(max must be autobiographical for wes anderson- for such an 'nerd' at school to be portrayed soooooo confidently it had to be a case of the 'nerd at school comes good for anderson' personallly. -i know exactly what he feels & would be something i would do too should i be writing a screen play.)
I just cant help but feel that from here on - (life aquatic onwards) he must need to diversify a little (which he did do to an extent with L Aquatic with some animation & a little more action gun fights to iggy pop in the background is always a good thing!) as the whole scenario of children & adults with very unusual behaviours & personalities from very well to do backgrounds - who are alll gifted & successful - but never actuallly seem to do anything exciting in the film - is getting a little tired.
There is a lot of father-son relationships in his films, & always a love interest that is shared between 2 people. The central figure is always a male. And the lady in question is always a mild mannered, soft featured, waif like but strangely attractive woman.
I'm sure wes anderson could continue for years making films with a father/son plotline - a 2 men fighting over a pretty, & well mannered woman, intelligent children & wildy eccentric people, but i just feel it may be time for him to use his excellent dialogue & script writing skills to a different scenario.
maybe he should write a film about eskimos or something? or maybe life in the city slums of Rio? This would take him out of the comfortable realm of well to do suburban america, where he could apply his skills to another culture of people.
just a few thoughts - out of the main 3 films he did - i actuallly think i prefer Life Aquatic, then Tenenbaums then rushmore - but alll 3 are fantastic.
It would definately depend on how much action you want in a film & which one you see first that will define your opinions on each.
Anyway just a few thoughts for you - but enjoy if you havent already.
