The Royal Tenenbaums

The Royal Tenenbaums is one of those quirkly little movies that you can't decide whether or not to like. It is both comical and light hearted, but takes a few dark turns as the bizarre story progresses. The story kind of reminds me of something the Coen brothers might have made in their younger days.

This movie is about a man named Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) who, after 17 years, decides to get back together with his family, who is very very wealthy. It just so happens that Royal is broke, and he tells his family that he is dying and wants to see them again. Although he is not really dying, he does realize how much he left behind when he and his wife (Angelica Huston) seperated, although they did not officially divorce. All of his children (Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Luke Wilson) are famous in one way or another.

Ben Stiller plays the curly-headed son who can't stand his father. His wife died the year before and he has two boys that he's trying to model just like himself. Paltrow plays a depressed playwriter who is married to Bill Murray. She spends a lot of time in the bathroom, smoking and watching TV, and her life is full of secrets. She is also adopted, and bears that grudge against her father. Luke Wilson plays the youngest son who became a tennis pro. He has a secret obsession with his stepsister, and her getting married lead to his downfall on the tennis courts. Owen Wilson (most recently seen in Behind Enemy Lines) plays the family friend who always wanted to be a Tenenbaum.

Yeah, this is a weird movie.

So the rest of the film is about Royal trying to patch up relations with his children and wife. To further complicate things, just as he arrives another man asks Mrs. Tenenbaum to marry him. This guy is played by Danny Glover, who shares some wonderful rivalry scenes with Hackman. Some of the best scenes in the movie involve Hackman and Stiller's kids going out and exploring the city, and getting into all the things that their dad wouldn't let them do.

The music in this film consits of a lot of acoustic/pop songs that might be considered annoying to some people. They fit the mood of the movie, but I'd never buy the soundtrack.

The cinematography in this film is excellent, and I forsee an Academy Award Nomination. It uses a lot of full frontal shots of the characters, in order to give the view from the person to whom they are speaking. There are also a lot of extended shots that really give this film heart. Cinematography is kind of hard to describe because it is the art of shooting moving pictures. All I'm saying is that it is wonderful in this movie.

If you are looking for a break from big budget, special effects laden junk, you might want to check out this movie. It is sort of an art-house film, but intended for a more mainstream audience.