The Royal Tenenbaums [DVD]

One to watch again

Beautiful packaging of a great looking masterpiece

wes anderson is a total genius and owen wilson likewise - their work is more of the european genre and scarcely would you know they were american (hugest compliment i can give) their choice of every careful detail is inspired and full of depth and dark humour - who could miss Gwyneth Paltrow as a drug crazed sex maniac (but she was adopted) , i am going to watch it again and am obsessed with all wes work - and where is that mink coat wes as i need it now WOW of course his usual cast of actors is also a joy to see this family of genius s interracting with such style and subtety and brilliance - of course Angelica Huston is 100% gold

I first saw this film as a sixteen year old on a family outing to the cinema not having heard of Anderson or the film itself. Family outings not being a regular thing at all for me it is extremely coincidental/fortunate/fateful that we should have seen together that night what I now regard as the most moving and funniest films about family relationships I have ever seen (On a par with the Sopranos for me).From the opening scenes with an instrumental Hey Jude the film put a smile on my face introducing the delightful unashamedly quirky characters.The ensemble cast really shines with no one actor trying to steal the show. The attention to detail Anderson shows is immense from costumes to locations (the main house in the film is an actual house redecorated and designed to Anderson's vision) to multiple two second shots (such as Buckley the dog in a cage in the aftermath of a plane crash).I have friends who don't like this movie and I really can't understand why not. The humour may not be everyone's cup of tea. Arrested Development was hugely influenced by this movie and this is also a huge crowd splitter. I am of the general belief that if you really love something and most people don't get it or like it, then you are right, it is great. Maybe you need an understanding or experience of depression, divorce, rejection, suicide, unrequited love, acceptance, loss, jealousy, regret to relate to the characters but who hasn't experienced some if not all of these things.Generally if you're a "deep thinker" you will love this film.Buy it now.

First time i saw this was at the cinema when it first came out and admittedly it was a hard film to like even though i really wanted to. Having seen the 2 disc dvd for a fair price, i decided to give it another go and liked it a lot more the second time. I have seen Wes Anderson`s first 4 films and if i could recommend any they would be Bottle Rocket & this, Rushmore is similar to this and full of great ideas & performances but just didn`t quite fit together as a whole(the film does have a huge following though). I`ve seen those first 3 a couple of time, Bottle Rocket even more, but the Steve Zissou film didn`t even make me want to re-watch it & i love Bill Murray. This review is all over the place but back to this film, i won`t go into the plot as i`m sure other reviews cover that, it`s full of typical Wes Anderson eccentricity`s and is helped no end by the performances, even Gwyneth Paltrow is good (in fact very good!) & the narration (by Alec Baldwin) for once doesn`t feel out of place.

The description of this film left me unsure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised and rather enjoyed its left-field humour. The basic premise of a dysfunctional family attempting to right some wrongs and restore themselves is of course not new to film-making. But some of the extreme twists and turns of how this particular family go about things is hugely bizarre. Within many families there will be topics that remain out of bounds for various reasons; this family has them in abundance!Seeing Gene Hackman in a comedy role was unexpected, but he pulled it off with aplomb. I already knew he was a great actor, but this uncharacteristic part further reinforced my admiration. Gwyneth Paltrow also shone very brightly, giving a great turn as a former child prodigy turned nervous wreck adult. Throughout this film there is a succession of events that should generate light chuckles, which build its momentum and carry it along rather well. There are also a couple of mood-changing darker moments which linger in the air, to make you wonder whether laughing was appropriate. A clever ploy. Recommended

Wes Anderson has a very distinctive story telling style that seems unique to him and which I adore. I count The French Dispatch & The Grand Budapest Hotel on my list of all time favourite films.The Royal Tenenbaums is a gentle comedy-drama about a quirky disfunctional family resolving long held secrets, grief & unrequited love. The main protagonist, Royal, also finds his altruistic sideIt is a beautifully shot film sprinkled with moments of melancholy and hilarity.

Wes Andersen's films all share an atmosphere that is special to his work definable as both bleak and yet at the same time oddly heart-warming. He looks straight at the heart of the pain of all the characters but allows them to find redemption in their relationships with each other. They are also able to exorcise their anger and resentment about their absent father and express finally their long repressed rage. The 3 children share the common bond of their extraordinary hot-house childhood, home educated and brought up to be the best at their chosen profession by their eccentric single mother who manages brilliant career as an archaeologist of her own at the same time. If it sounds depressing it really isn't. This is a film that gives you back faith in people's ability to survive and be happy despite the pains of growing up to feel different, exlcuded. It's laugh-aloud funny in a way that makes you smile in recognition at the emotions exposed.The film exemplifies the words of the French writer Colette: `you can never be cured of your childhood'. Andersen's film agrees but offers the alternatives of love and forgiveness as a panacea at least.