Eight out of Tenenbaum (The Royal Tenenbaums (DVD))

Member Name: buttonman

Product:	The Royal Tenenbaums (DVD)
Date:	18/04/02 (232 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cast

Disadvantages: Confusing

My current favourite film of all time (Well up until 'The Wild Geese' gets a DVD release!) is 'Rushmore' which is also the last film directed by Tenenbaums director Wes Anderson. I was therefore both looking forward to and preparing to be disappointed by his latest offering. Although 'Rushmore' was his second film (after 'Bottle Rocket') it was still an original and funny film. It did have a star name in Bill Murray but had no major studio backing and indeed the DVD commentary reveals Murray himself had to bankroll the film to ensure it's completion. So when I heard the cast list for Tenenbaums my initial anticipation gave way to cynicism - it's a sell out for sure.

The cast list is a near who's who of Hollywood. The first dozen names on the cast list are household names and surely that can be no good thing. So is it a main stream sell out, has quirkiness given way to the almighty dollar or is it an offbeat niche film with stars willing to be something a bit different for once? Well to be brief No, No, Yes, Yes. But you're not getting off that lightly...

PLOT
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The film opens with the book 'The Royal Tenenbaums' being opened. The camera pans down the texts as a narrator (Alec Baldwin but I thought it was Gene Hackman throughout) reads the text as it dissolves into the film. The plot is labyrinth and confusing but essentially simple. Gene Hackman plays Royal Tenanbaum the head of a large family who walks out on his kids at an early age. The children are brought up by their mother Ethel (Anjelica Huston) who brings them up well to be amongst the most gifted of their generation. Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a playwright, Chas (Ben Stiller) is a finance wizard whilst Richie (Luke Wilson) is a grand slam tennis professional.

As we meet the grown up kids we realize things haven't turned out well. Margot lives in the bath and with her older husband Raleigh St. Clair (Bil
l Murray), Chas has become a safety obsessive since his wife's death and Richie sails the world in a liner since losing a final in bizarre circumstances. Royal himself isn't doing well and is soon to be tufted out of the hotel where he's lived for 17 years. He decides to return home to his family and feign illness in the hope they'll have him back and provide shelter.

Initially his motives are selfish but soon he grows to love the children he deserted despite their hostility towards him. There are many subplots and character relationships but no great revelations or twists. Essentially the film is about family and trying to make up for past errors and a whole shed load of other stuff that I'm too dumb to work out!

Cast
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The cast were great but for me there were too darn many of them. With them all being introduced as youngsters and soon being adult I soon lost track of who was who and who was doing what to whom and when. Not only are there three kids but there is also the neighbour's kid Eli (Owen Wilson) as well as the kids own kids and their partners. This meant many did not get the screen time they deserve with Stiller and Murray especially underused. The legion cast may have been a device to demonstrate the suffocating nature of families or maybe the director got drunk and made too many promises!

My favourite actors were Danny Glover as the soft spoken Henry Sherman who woos mother Tanenbaum and Luke Wilson who plays burnt out tennis pro Ritchie very well indeed. Being a former track star (400m school sports) I could relate to his character although his attraction to skinny stepsister Margot was less understandable. Luke Wilson is one of many faces popping up from 'Rushmore' with the geometry teacher, Max's dad and Mr Littlejeans to name but three others!

Most of the plaudits for this film have gone to Gene Hackman and rightly so. The part was written for him and he has a b
all as loveable rouge Royal. His best scenes involve him corrupting the sons of safety fan Chas by taking them on the back of a garbage truck and helping them steal from the corner shop. He's the role model I always needed!

Thoughts
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I enjoyed this film but it wasn't as good as 'Rushmore'. Focus seemed to be lacking with the narrative all over the place. It is offbeat and quirky and hooray for that but that's no excuse if your star heavy project wanders all over the place. The film is in nine chapters and this should've made it more cohesive instead it served only to let you catch your breath before setting off on another tangent.

There is a lot to admire not least the excellent production values. In one scene the mother's former suitors are rhymed off. Instead of focusing on her we get a funny montage showing them all at their weird and wacky jobs. In another a passing remark about Ritchie's last match is revisited in full 1970's horror with a sepia toned rerun of the fateful game. Lastly Bill Murray's private eye reads off Margot's sex life details with another montage showing all the lucky lads (and lassies!).

The whole format of the film is unusual and this didn't sit well with my fellow cinema patrons. Most seemed to be expecting car chases and were upset at the sight of Gene Hackman operating a lift. Other quirks include captions throughout the film as well as lots of little cut scenes used to demonstrate a point or suggestion. It's clearly not standard Hollywood fayre and for that alone it has to be applauded.

As with most films the central theme was one of redemption and most if not all characters find theirs in some shape or form. Except the dog. The soundtrack was not bad but not really my taste. It started well with 'Hey Jude' but that was the last song I recognized. None really stood out for me which is a pity as my 'Rushmore' soun
dtrack is wearing thin.

All in all an interesting and different film that works out as slightly less than the sum of it's parts.

Summary: