Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller
Running time: 109 minutes

 
 
Having seen a few of Wes Anderson’s movies, namely The Darjeeling Unlimited and Rushmore, and in the process of seeing his latest one, The Grand Budapest Hotel, I decided it would be a great idea to see what most certainly is his better known work to date: The Royal Tenenbaums.

This 2001 comedy (that also contains small hints of drama) tells the story of the Tenenbaum family. All three children were child prodigies in their respective fields. When their father, Royal Tenenbaum, divorces his wife and leaves the family behind, they go into a severe slump that will get worse and worse and last for decades. One day, the paternal figure comes back home. At first, he tries a ruse to get everyone back together, but he soon realizes he misses his family and he needs to finally make things right.

The Royal Tenenbaums has a serious ensemble cast to offer. I mean such big names as Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson and Danny Glover: a lot of actors and actresses with much experience under their belt.

I love Wes Anderson’s style. His use of colors in his sceneries and especially the use he makes of music is pure magic. Sometimes, out of nowhere, a song will blend in with the story and accentuate everything in such a way as to make you feel the desired feeling a little more, be it sadness or happiness.

All members of the cast offer solid performances here. The tone is definitely off-beat, which can be a little off-putting at first if you’re not in the right mood or if you don’t open your mind to let the movie sink in. At first, I was hesitant to get into this film. I was sitting on the edge, wondering what the heck it was I was watching. Well, The Royal Tenenbaums won me over. While it probably will not become a favorite of mine that I will go back to through the years, it a nice little film that won my respect by sinking into me slowly hours after I finished watching it. Highly recommended for the fans of the non-formulaic comedies.

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