Wes Anderson Releases New Short Film And Tribute To Kumar Pallana

November 13th, 2013

Brian Leak

If you follow us here at UTG at all, you’ve likely seen us rave about Wes Anderson’s works, including our anticipation of his forthcoming film, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that the man has a knack for acquiring the highest caliber of casts and certainly stands out with a unique vision as an auteur.

Following his Jason Schwartzman-led short film, Hotel Chevalier, accompanying The Darjeeling Limited, Anderson has released another short starring the Coconut Records musician, entitled Castello Cavalcanti, which is signature Anderson through and through; tracking shots, pleasing set designs, and dry, eccentric humor. Set in 1955 Italy, Schwartzman plays Cavalcanti, a famous race car driver that crashes during a race and makes a discovery. It’s impossible not to recall Rushmore when seeing Schwartzman in that car, apart from the mustache of course. You can watch the short after the jump.

A friend of Anderson’s, Kumar Pallana, passed away at the age of 94 on October 10. He was an actor who led an incredible life and was featured in four of Anderson’s films, most notably playing Kumar in Bottle Rocket and Pagoda in The Royal Tenenbaums, but was also in non-Anderson films such as the excellent Another Earth and The Terminal. Anderson recently paid tribute to his friend by creating a video that serves as a kind of highlight reel showcasing Pallana’s beloved career and a look into the life he lived. You can watch that after the jump as well.