Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

dan_ford ...and I will fight you if you disagree. Full of heart as well as quirk, and before that quirkiness became self conscious. Funny surprising and gorgeous.

Movie_Muse_Reviews No coming-of-age film, before or since "Rushmore," has been so intellectual and yet so gleefully immature. Wes Anderson's sophomore effort remains one of his best for its unorthodox depiction of teen angst, which sees 15-year-old private prodigy Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) deal with academic probation, fall for an older woman and form an unlikely friendship with a school parent.Anderson brings a certain indelible spirit to his work that frankly has no equal, and "Rushmore" stands among the finest examples of his playful attitude and wealth of artistic knowledge, if for no other reason than the familiarity of the film's school setting. Max is a rogue and a brat, but a genius in his own right; he simply puts his skills to use in all the wrong applications. He represents all of us who were misunderstood high school students, yet also the smart ass that everyone despises — at the same time.It takes a certain young man to epitomize both the height of teenage pretension and the baseness of teenage mischief – not to mention match wits with Bill Murray. A sure sign of what would be a long Hollywood career, Schwartzman goes toe to toe with Murray, who plays Herman Blume, a local industrialist who takes a liking to Max, a mentorship that soon turns to rivalry.Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson craft a familiar but exaggerated world in "Rushmore." Max cannot be president of two dozen clubs, or stage elaborate plays with explosions in no time at all, but the mere suggestions provide a comedic underpinning for a story of a student so extra-curricularly driven that he's failing school, and how his middle class background (unlike his wealthy classmates) factors in. And there's his blind love of Ms. Cross (Olivia Williams) juxtaposed with the fact that he lost his mother when he was young. So for as silly as "Rushmore" gets, at its core is about people, young and old, who have experienced loss and are trying to grapple with "sic transit gloria mundi," how quickly the world changes around them. Anderson and Wilson bury this in a lot of fluff, but the fluff isn't frivolous – it contributes to Anderson's unusual (though now familiar and much acclaimed) tone.Like any teen movie worth its salt, "Rushmore" makes great use of its soundtrack, creating a renegade, anti-authority vibe that fittingly misrepresents what the film is all about, adding another layer of comedic value. The entire film is littered with cultural references both familiar and obscure – it's what makes Anderson esoteric but also so appealing to certain film fans.It can be easy to lose "Rushmore" in this thicket of style and references at times, but many more features into Anderson's filmography, it still feels among his most accessible. This is a familiar story populated with familiar people, as larger than life as it all gets, and Anderson often likes to venture out there. "Rushmore" is a nice home base to return to for devoted fans and casual admirers both.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

Evan Wessman (CinematicInceptions) Watching Max Fischer go through his bold and unorthodox escapades was fairly entertaining. He's clearly studied up on how to be professional and suave, but doesn't quite know when to employ these tactics. His word choice immediately stands out as unusual, but what is also remarkable is how unafraid he is to fail. His attempts to get in good with Rosemary are doomed from the start, but it takes him months of failing to finally give up on her. Maybe he's just an idiot for throwing himself at his goal headlong and humiliating himself over and over again.As seems to be the case in most Wes Anderson films, we get an odd protagonist that creates a strange reality for themselves. The surrealism of the movie really speaks to Anderson's directing work, because several scenes convey events that aren't that strange in themselves but they feel a odd because of how they are presented. Magnus, Rosemary, and Dirk are good examples of this because they behave pretty normally for the most part, but we see them through Max's warped and stylized vision.Most of the movie consists of Herman Blume and Max fighting over Rosemary, sometimes thwarting the other's efforts to win her and sometimes assisting the other. These scenes said a lot about Herman with the childish nature that he and Max fight with. For Max to sabotage Herman is not exactly acceptable, but it is at least understandable since Max is at a clear disadvantage in this war; but for Herman to stoop to the same level is beyond immature. However, it cannot be denied that both characters are willing to have goals. This seems to be a point that Wes Anderson likes to insinuate in his work: going after your goals may have disastrous results and may cause you to do some bad things, but it is better than living without a purpose and being boring. I don't know that I fully agree with this, but it's worth thinking about.The craft that is displayed in this film is decent, but has definite room for improvement. The dialogue and content of each scene was good, but I didn't like the pacing. That may just be a personal thing, but sometimes it seemed like the story lacked direction. The style was cool, though it's clear that Anderson had not fully developed his technique at this point in his career. The acting was solid all around.This is good to watch if you're really interested in Anderson's techniques or if you want to study some good acting. I saw this at a screen writing workshop as part of an exercise in structure. Within the class it was educational, but it may not be the best resource for aspiring writers. For those just viewing for enjoyment, this isn't anything that you'll get a lot out of, but if you come across it, it's worth a try. Overall Rating: 6.9/10

magnuslhad You either appreciate Wes Anderson or you don't. He is a filmmaker I always feel I *should* like, but having suffered through Moonrise Kingdom, Life Aquatic, and The Royal Tenebaums, I had come to the conclusion that he is just not my taste. Then, like a lot of other people, I greatly enjoyed Grand Budapest Hotel. So having heard Rushmore was his masterpiece, I sought this film out. It is not as good as GBH, but also not as twee or tedious as the other films I mention here. It all seems very forced and wooden, which is probably the point, or an aspect of a point I am missing. I smiled, I admired the witticisms and general sense of life as ephemeral it conjures, but most of the time I wanted to be elsewhere. If you are a Wes Anderson virgin, Rushmore seems a good place to start. Love this and you have hours of viewing pleasure ahead of you. But if, like me, you find it all a bit pointless and self-indulgent, you'll know to avoid the rest of his filmography.