With Bottle Rocket being the now highly-influential director Wes Anderson's first feature-film, it feels almost like a teaser of what's to come with his filmmaking career. It feels like a safe attempt at displaying his weirder approach to storytelling; not touching too far or being too ambitious.
Co-written by Owen Wilson, Bottle Rocket originated as a black-and-white short film showing three dysfunctional young adults with an idiotic plan to commit a robbery, featuring a very indie and low-budget style. The film, however, differs slightly with its approach to romance, and using the additional time to lengthen out the character development.
Dignan (Owen Wilson) appears to be the troublemaker, constantly encouraging his friend Anthony (Luke Wilson) to take part in his nonsensical, highly-illegal money making schemes that are sold to him with such assuring that things are well-planned and flawless; often enough guilt tripping him. The two characters are clearly shown to be different from the start, with Anthony faking an escape attempt from a voluntary mental hospital, encouraged entirely by Dignan.
It's evident that Dignan sees himself as the brains behind the ideas, and Anthony just a close friend that doesn't really have the guts to tell Dignan to grow up before he really gets himself into trouble. All of this is made clear after the first robbery, in which nothing goes to plan, and Anthony begins to fall in love with a Spanish motel worker during their hideout phase.
Outside of Dignan's selfish ways, Bottle Rocket uses the dysfunctional actions of the characters as a method of creating comedy. In their eyes, they're a trio of cool criminals, some film noir bank robbers that can never be caught. In reality, they're just on a slippery slope that takes them to jail. Wes Anderson's directing style adds an additional layer of comedy throughout, using certain shots that has the three almost idolised, glamoured up and prepared to take on the world.
Wes Anderon chooses to keep the film's cast slim, which I believe adds to the isolated feelings the characters have with the world; they're certainly not the criminal types, they're just very easily manipulated and unsure of what they should be do with their lives. There's certainly different layers of comedy in the film, but it's really about the three struggling to to settle down, struggling to find purpose. For Anthony, Inez is his purpose, he's found something to actually live for and work towards. Bob is just lonely, constantly bullied by his older brother, Future Man, and wants to prove he's not a screw up in any possible way. Dignan, however, never really learns until the end of the film.
In a way, the characters and the way they're written is wholesome. They're harmless, despite carrying firearms; and the film's name itself reflects them perfectly: they're nothing but a homemade bottle rocket aimed towards the stars but are destined to only make it a few feet before crashing down. Once they finally do come down, they can move on properly.
