The works of Wes Anderson are undoubtedly an acquired cinematic taste, and in fact, it took me a long while to warm to his offbeat camerawork and self-consciously opaque dialogue. But his unconventional stories and directorial approach have always drawn top Hollywood talent. And his latest, a stop-motion animated film called Isle of Dogs, is no exception. The voice acting cast includes Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson and Greta Gerwig, as well as Anderson’s numerous repertory players: Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray and Bob Balaban.
This fanciful comedy tells of a make-believe Japanese city that, when overrun by dogs, exiles them all to an island garbage dump to fend for themselves. One boy, the mayor’s adopted son, decides to defy the authorities and rescue his stranded dog. The story is straight-forward enough, but Anderson gives it his signature touches with wildly imaginative visuals and mordant humor.
Also playing at Theatre N in May: Foxtrot, Israeli film that was one of the most acclaimed movies of 2017, May 11-13; a quirky Belgian comedy, The King of the Belgians, May 18-20; angst-y teen drama Flower, May 25-27, and the ongoing countdown of AFI’s Top 100 films of all time (including Do The Right Thing and Pulp Fiction), every Saturday. Theatren.com.
