Bill Murray is back with this excellent film

Nobody does grumpy and cynical quite like Murray, and he is at his grumpy and cynical best in this often excellent film.

Fri, 25 Feb, 2005 - 15:58

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Jess Goldblum, Michael Gambon

Cert: 15

Nobody does grumpy and cynical quite like Murray, and he is at his grumpy and cynical best in this often excellent film.

He plays the Steve Zissou of the title, an explorer of the deep who pulls together a motley crew in a revenge mission against the shark which demolished his partner while they were making a documentary film.

Murray is excellent as the central character in what is a film with equal elements of seriousness and dark comedy, elements which never clash but rather give the quirky story its entertaining edge.

It is, too, a fine cast which pulls off the usually-difficult task of ensemble-playing to perfection as we follow Zissou's efforts to get his expedition under way and keep it on course.

The film marks the continued revival of Murray's career after a fallow period; he's back, not so much with a bang as a delicious snarl.

Star Rating: 4/5