"Isle of Dogs” may be the most Wes Anderson film that Wes Anderson has ever created. Whether you love his work or hate it, you have to admit that this heavily stylized film is unlike anything that you’ve ever seen. So many films lack a stylistic identity but an Anderson film can be identified from any 15 seconds of footage. His head-on shots give the film a personal feel, as if the characters are speaking directly to us. Their dialogue is equally colloquial as the characters set aside formality and speak their minds. Alexandre Desplat matches Anderson’s style with a whimsical score. I love the incorporation of Prokofiev’s “Troika” into the musical landscape. The score is crucial to blending the edgy story with the stop-motion medium. The PG-13 rating reflects some mild profanity and violence, hopefully deterring parents from thinking that this is a family film. As per usual, Anderson assembled an ensemble cast to bring these characters to life. The impressive list includes Bryan Cranston, Ed Norton, Liev Schreiber, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Frances McDormand, Bob Balaban, and even Yoko Ono as herself. The diversity of vocal tones helps to inject personality into each dog. There has been a debate on whether this film is racial stereotyping or a tribute to Asian culture. I agree with the latter and believe that the setting is perfect for this story and any less inclusion of Asian culture would have been an injustice. “Isle of Dogs” is another fun, quirky addition to the film repertoire from Wes Anderson. Don’t let the stop-motion medium fool you - this film has all of the sophistication of an art house film.
[Pictured: Wes Anderson's signature style is evident in every frame of this film]
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