'Royal' crew earns praise
by Alison Schreck / contributing writer
courtesy of TOUCHSTONE PICTURES
A barrage of stars light up the screen in Wes Anderson's
most recent comedy, "The Royal Tenenbaums."
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The winter season brought with it the anxiously awaited return
of Wes Anderson's cinematic genius. After three years of wondering
whether or not it was possible to transcend the beauty and imagination
of his last film, "Rushmore" (1999), we are presented
with "The Royal Tenenbaums."
Filled with typical Anderson stylistic choices — rich red and
pink colors, autumn atmosphere, fashion that appears to be dated
somewhere in the '70s — "The Royal Tenenbaums"
branches away from the teen angst and spontaneity of his two previous
films "Bottle Rocket"(1996) and "Rushmore."
"The Royal Tenenbaums" treads into new territory with
its plot centered on the serious subject matter of the broken family.
The Tenenbaums present us with the reality of confrontational and
uncomfortable family situations in a way that makes each character
a subject of sympathy, confusion and connection. Three child geniuses,
Margot the playwright (Gwyneth Paltrow), Richie the tennis star
(Luke Wilson) and Chas the real estate agent (Ben Stiller), grow
up in a New York City row house on Archer Avenue and eventually
become neglected by their estranged father Royal (Gene Hackman).
On the verge of "death," he reenters their lives after
nearly two decades of absence just as each of them are dealing with
conflicts within their own families — lost loved ones, secret
love affairs, detached marriages.
The Tenenbaums come alive in the warm colors of their reunion in
the brick house as they unavoidably unearth pieces of themselves
that were shadowed in the limelight of their upbringing as prodigies
and celebrities. The film is coated in rich layers of regret, humor
and compromise and delves into the humanity and union of a family
regardless of several atypical obstacles.
Anderson pulls through with a beautifully atmospheric soundtrack
as well — including songs by Elliott Smith, The Velvet Underground
and The Clash. Fitting scenes with subtle relevance, the music carefully
frames the film and is as important to it as the wide angles shots
and occasional narration.
"The Royal Tenenbaums" is a careful balance; it upholds
the traditions that give Anderson his cult following but presents
new, dark subject matter in a quiet and carefully funny way.
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