The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) on Netflix
R20041h 59mAdventureComedyDrama
Oceanographer Steve Zissou sets out to hunt the jaguar shark that devoured his partner Esteban du Plantier. A pilot who may be his son and a pregnant reporter join the voyage.
- Netflix3.3/5
- IMDb7.2/10222,363 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes57%
Trailer
Plot summary
Steve Zissou, a celebrated oceanographer and documentary maker, has not had a hit film in nine years. On his most ambitious expedition, a ten-meter spotted creature he calls a jaguar shark ate his partner and best friend, Esteban du Plantier, and only Steve saw it, so some question whether the animal exists. For his next film he plans to find and destroy it, and three newcomers join Team Zissou: Bill Ubell, sent by his bond company, Jane Winslett-Richardson, a pregnant reporter writing about the voyage, and Ned Plimpton, an airline pilot who believes Steve is his father. Klaus Daimler, the first mate, resents Ned, while Steve's wife Eleanor, the operation's chief strategist, calls the expedition reckless.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Seu Jorge performs David Bowie songs in Portuguese on the acoustic guitar through the film; playing Pelé dos Santos, he sings some of the covers live and in character, mostly with modified lyrics reflecting his own experiences working on the film.
- The character Zissou is both a parody of and an homage to the French diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau, and the film is dedicated to Cousteau.
- James Gray originally signed on to play Wolodarsky, but he left when he learned that he was going to spend five months in Italy.
- The Criterion Collection released the film on DVD on May 10, 2005 as its 300th title, in one-disc and two-disc versions, making it Anderson's third film in the collection after Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.
- The Life Aquatic marked a break in its director's soundtracks: it is Anderson's first film not to feature a Rolling Stones song.
