Wes Anderson (and co-writer Owen Wilson) offer an involving, broad comedy notable for its attention to detail and an almost subversive heart. If you liked Rushmore, which Caesar found to be one of the best comedies ever, you will also like The Royal Tenenbaums. Gene Hackman plays the patriarch of a family of geniuses -- ex-wife archaeologist Angelica Huston, adopted daughter and dark playwright Gwyneth Paltrow (married to psychiatrist Bill Murray), son and Type A financial wiz Ben Stiller, and son and burned out tennis pro Luke Wilson. Owen Wilson plays the neighbor's son from childhood days, grown up to be a Tenenbaum wannabe and a drug-addicted nouveau western writer. Essentially, Hackman hears that Huston is to wed longtime suitor and accountant Danny Glover, and he takes the opportunity to inject himself into the lives of his abandoned children, who are damaged, disaffected, and/or bitter, in an effort to stop the wedding.
The quirky nature of the family offers the choice laughs, and Anderson is no stranger to slapstick. But their everyday hurts, presented fleetingly during the film, are what resonate. Stiller is particularly effective as the one most angry about his father's failures, as he can transition from broad comedy to intimate with the most ease. But each actor is given and capitalizes on a moment or depth and feeling, and the entire cast is solid. Throughout, the dialogue is ironic and at times, laugh-out-loud funny.
Anderson's eye is gentle. He films his characters in a dark 70s hue, and his choice of New York locations matches the tenor of each scene. He also has Scorcese's flair for choosing the right music for any given scene, ranging from The Vince Guaraldi Trio to The Rolling Stones' Flowers . Mark Mothersbaugh (of Devo) wrote the original score.
Proviso: Caesar saw this film with 5 other people, two of whom deemed it so-so, and one of whom liked it, but was nowhere near as effusive as Caesar. They were immediately given the opportunity to take their own lives and spare
the lives of their families.
Grade: A
