Directed by Wes Anderson. Starring: Gene Hackman, Angelica Houston, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, Danny Glover.
Every so often a film comes along which renews my faith in US cinema. After seeing far too many gross out comedies, big budget epics and simply crap mainstream movies, The Royal Tenenbaums comes as a much needed tonic, as my cinematic tastebuds were getting more than a little dry.
Though Anderson's first film Bottle Rocket wasn't the strongest debut seen of late, his follow up Rushmore proved what he was capable of - writing very intelligent yet sympathetic characters and putting them in to bizarre situations, and still making it all utterly believable. And The Royal Tenenbaums only expands on this.
Revolving around a dysfunctional family whose father, Royal (Hackman), walked out when his three super smart children when they were barely in to their teens. He returns seventeen years later, due to jealousy over his wife's plans to remarry, to a dysfunctional family who over the years have fallen in to depression and despair. And sets about, in his own unique way, putting things right.
A couple of subplots only make things more interesting, but really it's the articulate, smart and always inventive script which makes The Royal Tenenbaums so special. Whilst quirky's the word that initially springs to mind, it's much more complicated and sharper than this suggests, and there's a realism to the film that is often sadly missing from most comedies. The
It's one of those movies that changes your mind about actors and actresses too. Never had much time for Ms. Paltrow? Well, who could blame you, as every one note performance she's so far committed to celluloid has been hideously unwatchable (even when she's been in otherwise good movies, like Shakespeare in Love). But hear she fits in with a cast of heavyweight actors seamlessly, and turns in a truly memorable performance.
Bored by Ben Stiller's one note jerk roles? Well, okay, it's more of the same here, but the character is really fleshed out for a change, and even likeable by the end of the film. And Bill Murray proves that those who hanker for a third Ghostbusters severely insult the man, as he's moved on from those slapstick days, and here, playing the most serious character in the film, shows how good an actor he's become.
But it's really Gene Hackman's film, another actor I rarely had much time for previously (bar Crimson Tide, and the French Connection, nothing he's ever done has ever been that interesting). But his Royal Tenenbaum, though a bit of a bastard in his earlier days, is utterly loveable, and you cant help but wish that every father was more like him.
Marketed as a comedy, The Royal Tenenbaums has much more to offer than just laughs. Part drama, part romance, and only part comedy, it doesn't fit in to traditional genre categories, like all of the best cinematic offerings. It's just a very smart, incredibly satisfying, and a joy to watch. And how many movies, American or not, can you really say that about?
Alex Finch.
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