Anderson, Wes

A victim of his own originality, Wes Anderson has created a style all of his own but has been criticised recently for repeating his successes.
The filmmaker started out with his most conventional entertainment. Bottle Rocket, a short movie that impressed at festivals, was extended to feature length and nabbed a star in James Caan in the meantime. The finished product was a delightful entertainment, albeit quite routine. It made stars of its two leads, Luke and Owen Wilson, the latter of which contributed to the script.
The older Wilson would assist Anderson on his next two scripts which became his two most critically applauded features. Any enjoyment of the first of these, Rushmore, depends on whether you are comfortable in the company of the charmless Jason Schwartzman. Though Bill Murray makes up for it with one of his classically droll roles. The Royal Tenenbaums is far more successful. While it relies on a wonderfully disparate ensemble cast, it is Hackman in the lead who provides the soul of the movie as the paterfamilias. It is a comic performance par excellence by Hackman. The film is also the best display of Anderson's wonderful use of colour and symmetry.
Anderson swapped Owen Wilson for Noah Baumbach, the man behind 'The Squid and the Whale' as a writing partner for his next venture. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a disappointment but isn't devoid of interesting moments. Murray gets into the role but he has very little plot to play with. It's a series of maritime skits on a very loose voyage. Willem Defoe steals the supporting honours and, like in all of Anderson's work, it looks like the cast are having a ball.
His latest film, The Darjeeling Limited, was criticised for returning too close to Royal Tenenbaum's template. But it's a joy of a film all on its own. A wonderful travelogue that explores fraternal relationships, a little-explored area in the annals of cinema. It is preceded by a clever short film, Hotel Chevalier.
Anderson's next project is animated and an adaptation of a short Dahl novel, Fantastic Mr. Fox. It should prove to be a good melding.

Abu-Assad, Hany

The first Palestinian director nominated for an Academy Award, Abu-Assad's career stands solely on Paradise Now, an affecting tale of two Palestinian men sent on a suicide mission to Israel. The film's anger and unapologetic sympathy for its killers is an overdue insight into the thoughts of islamic extremism. Whether Mr. Abu-Assad can follow this very personal picture up with something less political remains to be seen. The director's talent was not always obvious. The film is a better showcase for the actor Kais Nashef.