Starring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow and Danny Glover
Director: Wes Anderson
Rated: MA15+
With its star-studded cast, I went to see The Royal Tenenbaums expecting to thoroughly enjoy it. I came away very disappointed.
Royal (Gene Hackman) and Ethelina (Anjelica Huston) Tenenbaum have three children – Chas (Ben Stiller), Richie (Luke Wilson) and the adopted Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow).
The very wealthy Royal walks out on his family when they are children. Ethelina raises three geniuses on her own. Chas is a business tycoon by 14, Richie is a champion tennis player, Margot is a celebrated playwright. Now in their thirties, and through bizarre circumstances, the three children move home to live with Ethelina. Royal, who is now broke, comes home as well.
The Tenenbaums are the most dysfunctional family you are ever likely to see on film. Rather than help us enjoy their ridiculous predicaments through subtle humour and gentle characterisations, this film has overdrawn characters going through highly choreographed set-ups with obvious humour.
Most annoyingly, the structure of this film is too episodic, employing a never-ending narrator to make all the links that the visuals fail to provide.
While there are some genuinely funny ideas and comic scenes within The Royal Tenenbaums, it reminded me of a cartoon which comes to life as a stage play. Its eclectic post-modern take on the slapstick comedy will appeal to a very few people.
