The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

3 out of 4

Starring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Houston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Owen Wilson

Director: Wes Anderson

Time: 108 mins

The Royal Tenenbaums is Wes Anderson's eagerly anticipated follow-up to Rushmore, the quirky, offbeat comedy/drama that received many favourable reviews back in 1998. The Royal Tenenbaums is also quirky and offbeat, but it fares better than Rushmore by keeping its macabre humour consistent throughout, rather than merely fading away. With a cast of well-known faces, the film is enjoyable, light entertainment that doesn't overstay its welcome.

The Tenenbaums are a dysfunctional family living in New York, but they're not your typical dysfunctional family. For one thing, the three children of Royal (Gene Hackman) and Etheline (Anjelica Huston) Tenenbaum are all child prodigies. Chas (Ben Stiller) is a financial whiz, Richie (Luke Wilson) a champion tennis player, and the adopted Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) an aspiring playwright. One day, Royal and Etheline separate, and the lives of their children take wildly divergent paths.

Fast forward some twenty years. Royal is dying and wants to make amends with his family for abandoning them. Etheline is being courted by Henry Sherman (Danny Glover), her accountant. Chas is struggling to cope with the recent death of his wife and trying to raise his sons, Uzi and Ari. Margot is married to author Raleigh St Clair (Bill Murray) and masking an unhealthy habit. And Richie is a failed tennis player harbouring an unhealthy secret. Throw in Eli Cash (Owen Wilson), the drug-taking family friend from across the street, and you have one volatile mix of resentment and jealousy about to explode.

The Royal Tenenbaums is not a laugh-out loud comedy, but there are numerous funny moments and enough bizarre humour to induce more than a few chuckles. Its quirkiness keeps it from attaining the greatness of, say, American Beauty (another movie about a dysfunctional family), but its more consistent tone means it doesn't fall apart like Rushmore did. Part of the quirkiness consists of having most of the characters speak in a detached monotone, with nary a smile to be detected, and having them wear the same piece of clothing throughout (look, in particular, at Gwyneth's wardrobe). This turns the characters into caricatures or even comic book inhabitants, but it definitely fits the film's off-centre leanings.

Another unique artistic decision was in the choice of locations. The film was shot in New York City, but it's not the New York City many people would know from previous films (which usually focus on Manhattan). The film feels familiar, yet isn't quite familiar enough, which is something that could be said about the Tenenbaums. They feel like a "normal" dysfunctional family, but a dysfunctional family that goes beyond the boundary on numerous occasions. That it doesn't veer into the realm of the ridiculous is one of writer-director Anderson's triumphs - he's created a live-action Simpsons and kept it believable.

A stellar cast has been assembled for The Royal Tenenbaums. Gene Hackman is very good here as the patriarch of the family. He's sly, deceitful, and yet genuinely interested in making up for lost time with his family. He's also the only one who seems to smile in the entire movie. Fellow Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, sporting dark eyes and decked out in a fur coat, is interestingly deadpan and monotonic, as is Luke Wilson (Charlie's Angels). Ben Stiller is suitably manic, Owen Wilson charmingly laconic (with his third film in as many months, Owen is getting plenty of good exposure; he also co-wrote the script with Anderson), and Bill Murray as subdued as he was in Rushmore. Anjelica Huston is radiant as the matriarch, and Danny Glover completes the single-expressioned, monotonic ensemble wearing his bright blue jacket. An excellent cast, indeed.

The Royal Tenenbaums may not appeal to everybody. It is offbeat, non-conventional, and funny without being hilarious. Director Anderson's third film is similar to his previous work, Rushmore, in terms of quirkiness, but it is definitely more entertaining. If nothing else, go see it for the amazing cast.

(c) Joe Wong (18 December 2001)