''The Royal Tenenbaums'' (2001 film)- Review

Directed by: Wes Anderson
Released: 2001
Country: United States

Genre: Comedy-drama

Rating: 5 out of 5

Review

''The Royal Tenenbaums'' is such a lovely film! It is warm, gentle, moving and funny.

Royal (played by Gene Hackman)  and Etheline Tenenbaum (played by Anjelica Huston) have three children: Chas (who becomes an expert in financial matters and starts his own business in his childhood), Margo (who is adopted and starts writing brilliant plays before reaching her teens) and Ritchie (who is a famous table tennis player). After Royal and Etheline separate, the latter takes all the responsibilities of bringing up and educating their children. Years pass and the successes that the Tenenbaum child enjoyed in their childhoods do not follow them into adulthood. They are visibly depressed and have had traumatic episodes in her lives. For various reasons, Chas (Ben Stiller), Margo (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Ritchie (Luke Wilson) find themselves under the same roof after years and when Royal tells them that he has cancer, things take a different turn and might help the family members settle their mutual differences and problems.

While the film is witty and enchanting, it also strongly addresses dysfunction. The characters are realistic and lovable in their own ways. The distance that has been created among the members of the Tenenbaum family is very understandable. It is evident that they love one another, but past incidents have caused them to hold grudges against one another.

Hackman, Huston, Stiller, Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson (who plays Ritchie's childhood friend, Eli), Danny Glover (who plays an accountant who falls in love with and proposes Etheline) and Bill Murray (who plays Margo's husband) are all brilliant in their roles. Hackman is so cute and I loved the way he tries to make up for everything, how he comes to understand that he has never fulfilled his responsibilities towards his family. Besides Royal, I really, really, really loved Margo. Gwyneth Paltrow shines in her role. I loved the character. I could understand the mess she was in. Although one of the calmer characters in the film, she is a very powerful character in her own right.

Overall, I loved ''The Royal Tenenbaums''. It is such a heartwarming film, beautifully written and directed.