The Royal Tenenbaums

Having seen and enjoyed 'Bottle Rocket' and 'Rushmore' I was really looking forward to 'The Royal Tenenbaums'. The previews made the picture out to be a comedy. After seeing 'The Royal Tenenbaums' I can't help thinking to myself 'why is this movie receiving any positive reviews at all? Is it me? Am I missing something?' I would not even recommend to people that they wait for the video to see this movie. My only recommendation would be; not to see it at all. The only humour in this movie takes place in the preview. Bill Murray is wasted as Ms. Paltrow's husband. I couldn't help thinking from his and Gwyneth's expressions that a funeral was about to break out around them. Ben Stiller has never been unfunnier (I know ‘unfunnier' is not really a word). He seems shorter in this movie (can't blame the director for that I suppose). The recurring Dalmatian mouse gag is annoying, unfunny, and too obvious. When the movie focused on the relationship between Danny Glover and Anjelica Huston, it was even more boring than the other boring parts in the movie. ‘Rushmore' and ‘Bottle Rocket' were clever and witty. 'The Royal Tenenbaums' is neither. Are peculiar characters alone funny? Anderson and Wilson seem to think so. By the end of the movie you really don't care what happens to the characters, you just want to get out of theatre and start warning people not to see this movie. I know people will disagree with my views regarding this movie, and so be it. But if you read this and go see the movie, you can't say Johnny Chill didn't try to warn you.

Like Anderson's previous work "Rushmore", "Tenenbaums" got tons of hype, and raves as being "groundbreaking" and "brilliant". I can't really see what the fuss is about. As a comedy, Tenenbaums simply didn't make me laugh. At all. I didn't even know what I was supposed to laugh at. As a drama, the story was mildly interesting. The characters were pretty flat, though, and really didn't do anything to make care a bit what happened to them. Great actors, especially the always great Huston, and Luke Wilson had some moments. Gwenyth Paltrow has depth, but again, in this film her character seemed one-dimensional. All I can guess, is that like the music of Tenacious D, and the films of Guy Ritchie, the hipsters amongst us have decided that Wes Anderson is cool, and his material is vague enough that these people can claim that there's more going on than actually is. There isn't. Zoolander is 10 times the comedy this thing is. I'm giving it a 4 to offset the dopes that gave it a 10. 6 is probably more fair.

I think it's unfortunate that some of those who liked this film imply that anyone who found it a waste of time is a boor, who is only interested in Jim Carrey style films. There are some very off-beat, "arty" films that I enjoy a great deal. This was not one of them, though. To me, it was "okay", but certainly not great. The humor was very subtle. I got most of the "jokes" (or humorous aspects, really, more than jokes) that people have mentioned, but they just weren't all that funny, to me. Maybe I actually sympathized with the characters too much; the humor was overwhelmed by the sadness of their situations.

This was a quirky film that surprised me, in that I liked it....at least twice. By the third viewing, I had enough but I got my money's worth out of it. That's what I would recommend with this movie: rent it before considering buying it. It's very different, and you might love but also might hate it. What it is, simply, is a portrait of a very dysfunctional family and the father trying to re-connect with his kids after a long absence. Gene Hackman is the father, Angelica Huston the mother and the wacko kids - and other assorted strange characters - are played by Ben Stiller, Owen and Luke Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray and Danny Glover. This is mostly dry, dark humor with some funny lines delivered in deadpan style. Nobody is particularly likable but - with the possible exception of Paltrow's character - are not really unlikeable either. They are just strange. I enjoyed viewing the house with all its colors. For those who appreciate low-key absurd humor nd some pleasing visuals, you should like this film and I certainly recommend giving it a look.

I first saw this film on TV and have never seen a director quite like Wes Anderson displaying his outlook on life so expertly. He and Owen Wilson have created a family beyond dysfunctional. Their underplayed script of various oddballs all with their own tale of despair is as left-field as you'll find, with each character, and I stress this, as pathetic as the next. Gene Hackman plays the lead role of Royal with huge confidence while Paltrow (Margot), Stiller (Chaz), and Owen and Luke Wilson (Eli and Richie), develop into fully fledged actors in their brilliant well-rounded performances. Anjelica Huston plays the strong matriarchal head of the family and gives the biggest whiff of normalcy from the film with Kumar Pallana, the knife happy friend/butler/colleague at the opposite end of the spectrum. Along with Pallana's inspired creation, comes Anderson's strongest hand - background players. Like the Coens, he truly adores every character and you feel background with each one. Whether it be Danny Glover's sombre turn as Huston's love interest, Royal's colleague and partner in deception or Buckley the dog. They carry the film and keep it fresh. The script is as above mentioned, slow-burning, letting its characters develop with ease and no constraints. This sits perfectly with Anderson's patient camera, and eye to present the story in a skit-type basis which it very well may be with its spot-on throw away one-liners. When pestered about the nature of his suicide note Richie replies wryly, "Of course it's dark, It's a suicide note." Its along with these, the acting and Andersons direction that Tenenbaums is promoted from simply a cult or indie classic into something so much more. The slow moments perfectly sober the funnier and give room for rest and perspective. It is also where the film delivers its most touching and poignant moments. The wedding scene is totally destroying and will levels the viewer flat. As with Richie's graphic suicide attempt and Royals ultimate demise in the company of his previously absent son. I cannot praise this film enough but I have tried.

After looking at some of the comments on this movie, I wonder if anyone can explain how a film can so universally be panned and praised at the same time. Absurd, now obviously we all see ourselves as having the correct opinion and everyone else is wrong. Im just pleased that Im not the only person who absolutely loathed this film. I see a lot of films and I am confident in my ability to pick up on subtle dark humour but come on this film is just awful. I really do think that sometimes its a case of emperors new clothes, some highbrow critics star saying how wonderfully clever and dark this film is and then when people start agreeing with them they probably snigger behind our backs. I have never left a film early but my god I wanted to in this one, this and unbreakable two lousy films praised across the board and I have no idea why. Take it from me avoid this film at all costs its dull, pointless, self indulgent, unfunny and so goddam slow you just want to shout at the screen for them to wake up.

I just finished watching this movie with commentary, and after seeing how much care goes into each scene, I have fallen for the movie all over again. Even after watching this film 10+ times now, I love it all the more. I have never held this movie as my favorite, but now it has moved into the #1 position after a careful study, and realizing that even 50 more viewings would not unlock all the little treasures hidden within. You are doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't see this movie, or if you dismiss it after a single viewing. Watch it, again if necessary, and see what you are missing.

I had all the best intentions of enjoying this film, as I have always admired the talent of Wes Anderson. That said, I can only state that as black comedies go, this isn't even beige. Did anyone tell Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson their screenplay was just plain boring? Mr. Anderson perhaps had something else in mind when he thought about this project. The idea of a dysfunctional family sounds great, but in the treatment of the material on screen, it doesn't materialize. It's about one of the dullest films of the year, in spite of the overblown praise from all critics toward this movie, which does not come up to Mr. Anderson's previous directing efforts. It's a shame because of all the talent amassed in this picture. The best thing in it is Gene Hackman. He is an actor that's always interesting to watch. His Royal Tenenbaum is not a fully formed character, but I would pay to see Mr. Hackman read from the Yellow Pages any time rather than to see him in a misguided attempt at comedy. Gwyneth Paltrow character is bo-ring. And so are the brothers Wilson, and Ben Stiller. Angelica Houston is very dignified in her role, but you don't believe for a nanosecond that after what she went through with Royal, she would walk to the altar ever again. Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, who were so incredible in Rushmore don't have anything to do here. The narrative device is sophomoric at best. So the best advice to all the fans is to wait until it comes out in DVD. Who knows, it might even play better....

The Royal Tenenbaums, to put it shortly, is a weird movie. It is the story of a family longing for its heyday to return. It is the story of a man who wants to be accepted. It is a story of redemption, filled with small epiphanies and smaller details that make for excellent viewing. It takes delight in showcasing its brilliant characterizations and depictions of social oddities. Many will find it hard to relate to such strangers and therefore decline to revel in this film's cinematic glory. We can pity them. Those that enjoy Wes Anderson's films can be put into two categories. There are those that simply find them to be quirky joyrides and laugh them off as such. Then there are those who recognize the loneliness in all of the characters Wes Anderson writes - it is this sense of loneliness that Wes Anderson, as a storyteller, brings to the screen. It is this sense of loneliness that makes Wes Anderson one of the most visionary filmmakers out there today. The Royal Tenenbaums is an altogether thrilling experience. It is epic, filled with pageantry. Though categorized as a comedy, at times it seems darker then typical black comedies - a drama, or even a triumphant tragedy of life's unrealized outcasts. As Margot Tenenbaum (Gwenyth Paltrow) says in one of the last scenes: "Well, I'm sure he'll get over it." The Royal Tenenbaums is a rejoicing in the human spirit's reluctant but continuous march forward.

I think if someone tries to watch a Wes Anderson film, they have to have a certain kind mind to understand the real meaning of them. After being awed by the Royal Tenenbaums, I left with a certain kind of joy that only a great film can give me. It's like flying an electric kite, it's that hard of a buzz. As I began my travel down the stairs of the theater, I heard this couple talking about how stupid the movie was, and how they are going to ask for a refund. I suddenly smiled, because I hoped that they would get one. I think that I got something out of the film that they didn't. That inside the frames of the movie I felt like I was in good company and had a understanding for the material that they didn't. What is so good about the Royal Tenenbaums? The great detail in every frame, from the costumes (and they really are costumes)to the design of Chas, Margot, and Richie rooms and the house. This is brilliant film on every level, a delight for the senses and for the mind. This movie makes you think, and without giving too much away there is a lot of surprises that come from the characters dialogue and their past. High kudos go to Luke Wilson, I loved his performance as the suffering Richie. If you loved Rushmore, there is no doubt that you will love this film because it is at par with it, except that its a bit darker in tone. I think its funny that way that people look at film, we each love or hate a film based on our own perception(and mind there are people who just watch film for entertainment). So if you have a complicated mind and you enjoy watching a challenging film, then the Royal Tenenbaums is for you. As for me, I plan on watching it again so I find more things to love about it. Thank you Wes Anderson, so much. You made laugh, you made me smile and I cried. A thousand times, thank you!