As the poster boy for a certain twee visual aesthetic, coupled with an idiosyncratic comedic sensibility, Wes Anderson has been at the forefront of the indie cinema movement ever since his two breakout films Rushmore (1998) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). His films have a rabid cultural following, with each new film seemingly more successful than the last, culminating in the massive box office success of the Oscar winning The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). Which brings us to his second stab at stop motion animation, not counting the underwater creatures featured in The Life Aquatic (2004), after Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). That film, while a critical success, failed to reap box office returns, mainly due to the uneven fit between the adaptation of a beloved children's book, and the off-beat nature of Wes Anderson's own outlook. Fans and adults loved it, children and families not so much. So Isle Of Dogs, this time based on an original Anderson story, appears to be billed as simply another Wes Anderson film, as opposed to specifically a children's or family film. And there is no better fit for Anderson's specific diorama-influenced, symmetrical visual sense than stop motion animation.
Set 20 years in the future in a dystopian Japan, Isle Of Dogs concerns the banishing of all domestic and stray dogs to what was formerly the site of a rubbish dump, following an outbreak of dog flu. The mayor of Megasaki City signs the decree into law, and all dogs are sent, including the dog of the mayor's ward Atari (Koyu Rankin), Spots. Dismayed at losing his beloved pet dog, Atari ventures to Trash Island in search of his dog, where he meets a pack of dogs who pledge to help him find Spots.
Another expectedly lovely creation from Anderson, Isle Of Dogs is a warm, fuzzy little adventure. The best thing about it, even more than Fantastic Mr. Fox, is the animation. It is a wonder to behold, with the very particular nature and limitations of stop motion being firmly leaned upon and embraced. Every frame is full of activity and life. This is the Japan of Anderson's heart, a warm and loving tribute to a vibrant country. While there has been dissent at what appears to be cultural appropriation, with visual references to common Japanese iconography such as samurai, cherry blossom, sumo and sushi, this is in its way no different than common (American) portrayals of England featuring farmland, tea, and bad teeth. The dogs themselves are masterful, with acres of personality. There's a real tactile nature to them, with their tufts of fur and hair sprouting and shifting from shot to shot. This is a dog lovers film if ever there was one, not only in their unique look, but also in the loving companionship of man's best friend.
Anderson's trademark humour sets the tone of the story as expected. Every laugh is so low key as to almost be missed, and the jokes are always ever so slightly off-kilter. There are as many sight gags as there are verbal ones, with most of those coming from the animation style. No matter how many times a dog sneezes in Isle Of Dogs, and it is a lot, it's always funny. And any instance of a physical fight, which is portrayed as a large ball of dust with sprouting arms and legs as in classical animation, is an absolute visual treat.
As usual, a large cast of quality American character actors fill out the voices, many of them holdovers from previous Anderson projects. Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham and Tilda Swinton all return in smaller roles. Filling out the five dog pack aiding Atari are a wonderful set of uniquely talented actors: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray and Bob Balaban. All bring great line readings, all work well together, and each is so well sketched as a character with individual backgrounds filled in along the journey. All except Cranston too are returnees to Anderson's world, showing how much his stock company is growing. Bringing a sense of reality to proceedings is the fact that the dogs speak English, and the Japanese characters all speak in their native tongue. So many films seemingly set in a foreign country have their characters magically speak English for western audiences. This sense of cultural truth helps to more definitively divide the dogs from their Japanese masters in a way that aids the story of their banishment.
In story terms, Isle Of Dogs does not go to quite as many unexpected places as Anderson's previous works. Films like Rushmore, The Life Aquatic and Moonrise Kingdom (2012) seemed constantly on the verge of leading us somewhere you never would have guessed. This is a fairly linear quest story, leading to an expectedly tidy and satisfying ending. But it is the quirks of Anderson's sensibility and presentation that keeps things moving along. This is an adventure told in a fascinating style by one of America's great storytellers. The man and this medium could be one of the great cultural marriages of all time.
