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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