The Royal Tenenbaums

UK Release Date: 15 March 2002

Certification: 15
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson

Rating: 65%

Review:

The Royal Tenenbaums is Wes Anderson's third feature film and a charming addition to his filmography. Placing a broken family dynamic within a comedy allows Anderson and the cast to have a lot of fun within the film. 

As is to be expected with a Wes Anderson film, the cast is packed full of world class actors and actresses. For me, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are the two standouts with impeccable comedic timing. Stiller's dead pan, brooding delivery is excellent - providing a self-aware commentary on the events seen in the film. Furthermore, any line of dialogue spoken by Eli Cash (Owen Wilson) left me in bits. The scene involving him doing a TV interview whilst high is quite possibly the most I've ever laughed in a cinema. 

The trademark 'Wes Anderson' style is present in The Royal Tenenbaums. Aesthetically pleasing, colourful and perfectly symmetrical the film's direction is a huge plus. I had the privilege of being able to watch the film on 35mm and it complemented the style flawlessly. Unlike some of Anderson's other features, the style feels central to the narrative being presented.

Unfortunately, a few aspects of the film massively hold it back. The failed suicide attempt is handled really well in the moment and is shot superbly. However, the film just glosses over it and doesn't really address the severity of the situation. There's also a relationship that whilst is technically allowed, feels inappropriate and comes off as incestual. Leaving The Royal Tenenbaums on a sour note.