Harry here with a comedy that is really up my alley... Wes Anderson is just the man when it comes to this type of humor. Is there anyway any of us are going to be missing this film? I didn't think so, and here's another review as though you needed one to tell ya how good it'd be.
Make it 3 for 3 for Wes Anderson. After bursting onto the scene with his wonderful (and in my opinion, very underappreciated) film Bottle Rocket, Anderson followed it up with the critically acclaimed Rushmore. To me, Anderson's sense of humor is not your typical "Something About Mary" appeal-to-everyone humor. Part of the joy of watching a Wes Anderson film is that one person will be rolling in the aisle, and the other will shrug and say "whats the big deal?" I find myself in the first column, so odds are, if you didn't enjoy his previous work, you probably won't become a fan. With that being said, this is Anderson and Wilson's most mature work yet. They are truly growing into one of the best writing teams in hollywood today. Though this film does not lack the innonce that made Bottle Rocket and Rushmore so fun, it did deal with much deeper subject matter (i.e. Suicide, Death, Sex). For those unaware, heres a quick synopsis of the story (No Spoilers):
Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) is dying of stomach cancer. The doctors tell him he has 6 weeks to live. Turns out (as we are told in the 15 minute introduction to the characters) Royal has 3 children, Chas (Ben Stiller), Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Richie (Luke Wilson). Each of his children were geniuses as children, but have since developed physical and emotional problems. Chas has 2 sons and is still getting over his wifes death, Margot is in a loveless marriage and has a smoking problem and Richie sails the world feeling depressed. We also are introduced to Royal's estranged wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston) and her new love Henry Sherman (Danny Glover). And finally, Bill Murray as the husband of Margot, Raleigh St. Claire and Eli Cash, childhood friend of the Tenenbaums, played by Owen Wilson.
Quite a crew, huh? Yeah, and thats the movies problem. There are so many charcters, so many different sub-plots, and so much always going on, that its hard to get emotionally attatched to any of the characters. Its not that Wilson doesn't know how the handle an ensemble cast, its just that the movie is always switching places, that just when you start liking someone, we meet someone new, and dont see that old character for another 15 minutes. Another thing is that at times the film felt rushed. Wes Anderson takes you into his world, and its a world that you wont want to to leave, but too little time is spent developing certain scenes, especially some of which that continue as if they are going to finish with a big punchline, and end up akwardly ending.
Now that ive gotten what I didn't enjoy out of the way, lets get to the good stuff, and there is a lot. First off, the acting is solid across the board. Gene Hackman is hilarious as the wicked old man thats trying to make right. He's old, he's angry, but he's trying. Another stand-out is Gwyneth Paltrow, playing a depressed playwrite. This is not the Gwyneth we are used to seeing, and is giving her acting ability quite a stretch in this film. The rest of the cast is great, and Owen Wilson once AGAIN steals the show in his small, but memorable role. Another thing to love about this movie is the style. The whole film is presented as if it is a book, with Alec Baldwin as Narrator. Wes Anderson's directing is perfect for certain scenes, but because of the films deeper subject matter, when we go from comedy to suicide, it can at times seem out of place, but for the majority of the film, his style is spot on perfect. And of course, the music is fantastic. Mark Mothersba! ugh's quirky music fits most of the film perfectly, and during the dramatic moments, his score shines.
Overall, this film is just what the doctor ordered from me. Its nice to see a big studio make a film with an indie feel. If your a Wes Anderson fan, or fan of the cast members, you owe it to yourself to check this movie out. If you didnt enjoy his previous efforts, this movie probably won't be up your alley. But if your looking for something fun, with a great cast, and at times some very deep emotional moments, give this flick a shot. If there is any justice in the world, the Academy will finally acknowledge what some of our younger directors (Wes and Christopher Nolan come to mind) are doing, and Touchstone may just have a Best Picture candidate on hits hands.
~Razzberry Jamm
