Reviewed by Andrew Wooding

The Life Aquatic
Director: Wes Anderson (2005)
Distributor: Buena Vista International UK  Certificate: 15

Spoiler notice: If you read on will become aware of how the film ends.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou is the brainchild of Oscar-nominated director and co-writer Wes Anderson, who was also responsible for Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. I have never seen those two films, but if they include just a fraction of the originality and unique filmmaking style of The Life Aquatic, then I am going to rush out to see them at the earliest opportunity.

Much of The Life Aquatic's soundtrack consists of classic David Bowie songs from the early 1970s, but with a twist. In spare moments on Steve Zissou's ship, the Belafonte, Pelé dos Santos (played by Seu Jorge) can be seen strumming his guitar and singing these Bowie songs - in Portuguese. Which, to me, sums up the feel of the whole film: something that looks and sounds familiar, yet is not quite right!

Then there's the star of the film, Bill Murray. Some people either love him or hate him. Personally, I've been a fan of his since his early days on the US comedy show Saturday Night Live back in the seventies. Bill Murray excels in roles that are over-the-top and insincere, and yet as Steve Zissou we find him restrained, thoughtful and melancholy. But the familiar Bill Murray persona is always bubbling just under the surface (appropriate for a film about underwater exploration), and every now and then it emerges, especially in the hilarious scene where Zissou, full of uncontrollable rage, fights off an entire gang of fully-armed pirates with just a pistol. As a plus, Owen Wilson gives a thoroughly convincing performance as Ned Plimpton, Steve Zissou's illegitimate son, and it is good to see the normally intense Willem Dafoe in a rare comedy role as Zissou's German assistant Klaus Daimler.

Wes Anderson, in making this film, was inspired by the real-life oceanographer and documentary film maker, Jacques Cousteau. This is an affectionate tribute, with downbeat humour mixed with raucous black comedy, surreal cinematography and inventive editing. How to describe it? Think of a cross between Woody Allen, Herge's Adventures of Tintin, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and, of course, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Probably not to everyone's taste, but it is refreshing to see something so unusual and original coming out of a Hollywood studio. Roll on the next Wes Anderson movie.

THROUGH THE LENS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH 

Some key themes: Life can be an adventure; there can be a deep sense of wonder in just the "normal" everyday things of life, such as human friendships and families

This a multi-layered movie, with a number of themes running simultaneously - the search for the unknown, loyalty, revenge, coming to terms with fatherhood, the realisation that you are getting old and your glory days are behind you, and more. Yes, there are scenes of laugh-out-loud humour, but mostly this a melancholy, reflective movie which takes its time to unfold. Steve Zissou's best friend has just been eaten by an unknown form of shark (which Zissou dubs a jaguar shark), he can no longer raise funds to make his documentary films, his boat and equipment are desperately outdated, his wife threatens to leave him, and he has just come face-to-face with his fully grown illegitimate son whom he has never spoken to before.

Although Zissou's relationship with his son is only one of the subplots in the film, it is also the most touching. While Zissou is grieving for his best friend, he crosses paths with Ned Plimpton, his illegitimate son, for the very first time. Why didn't he get in touch before? Zissou explains that he hates fathers, and he never wanted to be one himself.

Nevertheless, he invites Ned to join him on his next - and possibly last - expedition: to find and kill the jaguar shark that ate his friend. Over the course of the film we watch Zissou - often reluctantly - coming to terms with being a father. There are touching scenes where Ned shows his father his Steve Zissou fan club ring that he has worn since he was a child, and he confesses to have written a fan letter to Zissou many years ago. We find out later that Zissou not only kept this letter, he has been carrying it round with him since. So his son meant something to him after all.

Tragically, Ned is killed in a helicopter accident. All looks bleak, until Zissou and his team finally manage to track down the mysterious jaguar shark that they have been searching for all this time. The film of their discovery becomes an unexpected hit, and Zissou is seen with a young admirer outside a movie theatre while the film is being shown. He hands this boy the Steve Zissou fan club ring that once belonged to his son (like passing on a baton), and he tells him that life can be a great adventure.

What did Zissou mean by this? His whole life has consisted of one adventure after another - daring exploits of underwater exploration. But his recent adventure has been about friendship, coming to terms with death, being reconciled with his wife and getting to know his son for the first - and last - time. In the end, it is these everyday things - not his daring underwater exploits - that have provided him with the most meaningful adventures. And, just like the David Bowie songs in Portuguese, they sound familiar and can even be taken for granted - but listen a little closer and you will find something new and unfamiliar about them.

Maybe we will never go on a safari, climb a mountain, explore a remote part of the world, or discover unknown sea creatures in the ocean depths. But life can be an adventure for all of us as we walk the tightrope of human relationships and try to be good parents, children, partners or spouses. Never take these for granted.

And what about our adventure with God? Where will he call us? What does he require of us? Walking with God can be scary and exciting, risky and challenging.

Don't view your life as boring. Don't get stuck into thinking that your experiences are just routine and mundane, and don't take your families or friendships for granted. Look at your life more closely - examine what you think is familiar - and you might see something new and unexpected that was there all along. Look even closer and you might just see God where you least expect him … and giving your life to the creator of the whole of the universe can be the biggest adventure of them all.

Have your say on the discussion forum....

· What would be your ideal adventure? Something to do with travelling or exploring? If money was no object, where would you go and what would you do?

· Have you recently seen God at work, not in the dramatic or miraculous, but in down-to-earth situations or everyday friendships? Tell us your story.

· Some people think that being a Christian is boring, yet those who followed God in the Bible had many adventures, some of them scary, some exciting. What adventures do you think God might be calling you to?

To discuss this further why not leave a message of the discussion forum.