The Royal Tenenbaums

Day 12/192-The Royal Tenenbaums: Starring Gene Hackman and Luke Wilson

NOW! This is a film. So many excellent actors, such a great plot, amazing characters, great ideas, wonderful script and I am now very interested in the work of Wes Anderson.

The Royal Tenenbaums has a massive ensemble cast and no-one under performs. As a comedy it is plenty funny and it has enough of an entertaining story (or several sub-stories) that interest is kept from beginning to end.

If I had my way, each character would be given their own spin-off movie.

The film follows the Tenenbaum family, in particular the children, who have failed to live up to the promise they have showed in earlier years. Chas (Ben Stiller) has become very tightly-wound following the death of his wife and concentrates solely on keeping his kids from harm (with late-night fire drills and such.)

Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) has stopped writing plays and spends much of her time watching TV in the bathroom and Richie's (Luke Wilson) tennis career has ended in shame.

Worst of all, their father, Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) a succesful litigator in his time, has been disbarred, largely thanks to Chas and is now (apparently) dying.



I can't praise the cast enough, or pick a favourite, each one brings something necessary to the film, from Danny Glover's love rival to Owen Wilson's wannabe Tenenbaum. Nothing hugely dramatic happens in The Royal Tenenbaums but it is removed from reality very slightly by a few components (Royal Tenenbaum's little man-servant Pagoda for example.) This makes for a very unique type of film that allows itself to be funny while letting you build up enough care for the characters before it gives way to any drama.

Arrested Development is one of my favourite TV shows and I would say having seen The Royal Tenenbaums now, that Mitchell Hurwitz must have taken some influence from this film. And why not? Every single character, even the morally corrupt Royal, is both entertaining and emotionally-involving. Margot who seems a million miles away and uninterested still earns a place in our heart as her inner-turmoil is so well portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow.

Well the picture uploader is broken for the timebeing so I will end with this sentiment. The Royal Tenenbaums is great and like Owen Wilson, I now wish I was one. I thought I would like this film but I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.

10/10