Rating: 
Summary: THOROUGHLY UNIMPRESSED IN DALLAS
Review: Other than seeing the faces of some of my favorite actors and appreciating their ability to act within the limited scope of this script, I was struggling to keep awake in this film. What did keep me awake was the optimistic hope that good actors would only be involved in this movie if it were entertaining in some way at some point. Perhaps it was just not at all my cup of tea. Little plot, action, development. It reminded me of the television show: "Married with Children" in its level of humor. Frankly, I thought that the concept was good, but not developed well. I felt like asking for a refund. As a regular fan of Hollywood's best movies, I admit that I, like others, have been sorely disappointed in most of the 2001 releases.
Rating: 
Summary: A really good film but not my favorite film of 2001...
Review: The Royal Tenenbaums has many good points to recommend it, but don't pay attention to all the media hype, or you'll likely come away from it with some disappointment.It does have a quirky charm, excellent performances and an original story. However, don't expect this to be a laugh-out-loud comedy along the lines of There's Something About Mary,etc.
TRT is more of a comedy in the sense that it displays as much drama and pathos as it does humor. There were many elements of it that will remind the viewer of his or her family. In this way we can all feel some connection to one character or another. I was very glad to see Angelica Huston again in a really rich role. She is literally the "glue" for this hodgepodge of a family. Gene Hackman is also wonderful in his role as Royal Tenenbaum, the dispossessed matriarch trying desperately to find his way back into the fold. Gywneth Paltrow is a perfect fit for her character's many dour moods, and Ben Stiller is also great as her polar opposite, as the poster child for "success". Owen Wilson probably had the most complex role as the brother whose life and emotions fall somewhere in between theirs. Very well drawn and thought-provoking. Like I said before it wasn't my favorite film of the year, but it is one of my top 5 for 2001.
Rating: 
Summary: Wes Anderson Triumphs With "Tenenbaums"
Review: Take a look at just about any family from any era and you'll probably discover a certain degree of internal conflict present. This is nothing new. But recently-- comparatively-- someone chanced upon the term "dysfunctional," put it in a sentence with, and preceding "family," and now, though we have neither more insight nor knowledge about any of it, we can at least define what we already knew that we didn't know. The estrangements that occur within a given family unit and the causes thereof remain a mystery, and in the final analysis, a family is a family is a family, and in "The Royal Tenenbaums," director Wes Anderson presents one of "those" families for your consideration, contemplation, cogitation and review. And it's quite a group; a family you're not likely to forget any time soon. In the decade before they separated, Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) and his wife, Etheline (Anjelica Huston) had three children (one of whom-- their daughter-- was adopted). Etheline was left on her own to raise them, and very early on each child exhibited some unique talent bordering on genius. Chas (Ben Stiller) became a financial whiz and was running a successful business out of his bedroom when he was still a kid; Margot Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) was a successful playwright by her early teens; and Richie (Luke Wilson) was a professional tennis champion by the age of seventeen. But as our story begins, Royal, due to certain circumstances (and for reasons of his own) feels the need to reconnect with his family, and even though he hasn't spoken to Etheline in over seven years, she is still technically his wife-- they never divorced. So, at this late date he contrives a way to gain the attention-- if not the affection-- of his wife and children, once again. And suffice to say, soon one and all (including the audience) are given the "Royal" treatment, Tenenbaum style, courtesy of Wes Anderson and a terrific cast. With "Bottle Rocket" in 1996, then "Rushmore" in 1998, Anderson began developing his own unique style of crafting and presenting a film that he fine-tunes to perfection with "Tenenbaums." It's a style that comes from realizing a personal vision and knowing how to implement it, knowing how to convey that unique perspective on life to the audience. Anderson uses a very straightforward and honest approach to tell his story; there is no charade, pretense or manipulation involved. He lets you know who his characters are and what they are about, good or bad, and in a totally non judgmental way. Royal Tenenbaum, for example; he presents him as he is-- what you see is what you get-- right or wrong, this is who he is, and he leaves it up to the viewer to assess his conduct. And though he may not give you all of the pieces of the puzzle that is any particular character, he gives you enough to make up your mind. Most importantly, he gives you real people to consider; people with all the flaws and foibles that you and I or anyone we know are invested with in one way or another. Beginning with the extremely well-written screenplay, by Anderson and Owen Wilson (the two also collaborated on "Bottle Rocket" and "Rushmore"), the movie is intelligent and insightful, and a challenge for the discerning viewer. This is not a film to be taken lightly or at face value; there is a lot to take in, visually as well as cerebrally, but for those who make the least bit of effort, the rewards are substantial. There are moments of hilarity, but also of reflection, because the comedy and drama plays out measure for measure as it does in real life. And that's what makes this movie (and all of Anderson's work) so interesting and engaging-- the very real and unpredictability of it all that is so true-to-life. The story is nothing less than a concise take on the Human Comedy, with characters that are rich and believable (for all, or maybe because of, their quirkiness), and presented in signature style by Anderson-- which is quite a feat considering this is only his third film. Many directors build a career without ever attaining that personal "signature" that defines their work as uniquely their own, as Anderson already has. Leading this outstanding ensemble cast, Gene Hackman is delightfully and endearingly unlikable as Royal, the father everyone hopes they never had. He's about as delicate and subtle as a trash compactor, but in an amusing sort of way. The guy you can tolerate, even enjoy, as long as you know he's leaving at the end of the day. And Hackman plays him to perfection, which makes all that goes on around him fall into place, as well. Stiller gives an effective, understated performance as Chas, a single father of two, coping with problems of his own and obsessed with safety, while Paltrow is deliciously morose and introspective as Margot Helen. Luke Wilson, meanwhile, gives an affecting performance as Richie by managing to really get into his character's skin. You sense that there's a lot going on behind his eyes, which, in fact, is one of the strengths of this film-- the fact that you can feel these people actually "thinking." Richie, Margot and Chas share that common thread-- that silent introspection that is so subtly effective, and Anderson wisely gives each of them these quiet, pensive moments-- without cluttering them up with unnecessary dialogue-- that tell you so much about who they really are underneath. And it proves that even in film, a picture can be worth a thousand words. Rounding out the cast-- and all with noteworthy performances-- are Bill Murray (Raleigh), Owen Wilson (Eli), Danny Glover (Henry), Seymour Cassel (Dusty) and Kumar Pallana (Pagoda). Quirky, eccentric, funny and alive, "The Royal Tenenbaums" will make you think and laugh at the same time, which isn't such a bad deal; it is, in fact, the magic of the movies.
Rating: 
Summary: Expectations lead to disappointment
Review: First of all, let me say that this is one of my favorite movies of the year. If I had never heard of Wes Anderson before seeing this movie, I may have been completely blown away. However, having seen Rushmore and Bottle Rocket probably a dozen or more times, I went into the theater with certain expectations; namely, that Royal Tenenbaums would be one the best movies I'd ever seen. These expectations were reinforced by the critics, who are calling this one of the best of the year, better than Rushmore, one of the greatest comedies ever. The main problem with the RT's for me was that it was too complicated -- I don't mean that it was cryptic or confusing, just that there were too many characters and too many plots happening at once. There have been movies that have had more characters, such as Short Cuts, that were very successful, but these movies are motivated by the interaction between characters and by coincidences, whereas the RT's is really about character development, as are all of Anderson's films. And the problem is that there just isn't enough time to develop all the characters, and many of them are treated superficially. Don't get me wrong. There are incredibly funny scenes in this movie, and overall it is very intellegent and worth seeing. It just doesn't measure up, in my eyes, to Anderson's earlier gems.
Rating:
Summary: OH, TENENBAUMS!!!
Review: Ok. I maybe just a slightly bit biased towards this movie, but if
I were to excuse my personal preferrances, this IS STILL AN AWE-
SOM movie!!! 1st and foremost...I AM A HUGE BILL MURRAY FAN! If
the man breathes in it..I will pay to see it. Fortunately, he's
does do more than just breathing, but still, there's just not e-
nough of him in it. However, this one is a rare jewel. Wes Ander-
son tomorrow will be AS IMPORTANT to movies as Steven Spielberg
or Stanly Kubrick is to films today. His talent for creating liv-
ing works of art is astounding. I could go on and on, but I think
I've reached my limit and I have to say "good bye" for now. But
PLEASE.....GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU.
Rating:
Summary: Not fit for Royalty
Review: The Royal Tennenbaums is the welcomed, if not anxiously awaited, follow up to Rushmore from director Wes Anderson. Wes Anderson has made such quirky films such as Bottle Rocket, and of course Rushmore.
The Royal Tennenbaums focuses on a family of geniuses. The father, a lout, played by Gene Hackman is a gambler and a boozer. Margot Tennenbaum (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a depressed play right. Richie Tennenbaum (Luke Wilson) is a disgraced Tennis player, and Chaz (Ben Stiller) is a financial genius but for some reason consistently dresses himself and his children in red jumpers, that look like they were found in the "Footloose" studio garage sale.
I give you these descriptions because this is as deep as these characters go. The children resemble symptoms of bad parenting rather then fully realized three dimensional character. Gwyneth Paltrow is grumpy, Luke Wilson is Sneezy, and Ben Stiller is the lost dwarf, neurotic.
Gene Hackman gives the film's only fully realized performance as he plays someone who doesn't deserve redemption, but wants it anyway. He gives his character dimension, due to the fact to recieve his family's love, he does things more reprehensible then before he wanted it. Hackman has been nominated for a golden globe for this performance and rightly so.
The film has a distinctive visual style, and for the first forty five minutes cruises with clever writing, terrific performances, and occasionally hilarious quirks. But then the film tries to get dramatic and does so clumsily.
For a film that incorporates death, attempted suicide, drug addiction, and a marriage the film does remarkably little to gain an emotional investment from it's audience.
It's here the paper thin characterizations come to light, and without anymore quirks to expose or have fun with the film languishes, and the experience of the film quickly turns from being fun and inventive to a high school drama club's production of Once and Again.
The most disappointing feature of the film may be that comic legend Bill Murray is given nothing to do. The interesting, and quite often hilarious actor is left with a one dimensional character, just like everybody else, but unfortunately isn't given any quirks to have fun with. If your making a movie and don't give someone like Bill Murray, a character with quirks, it's safe to say something has been missed.
The Royal Tennenbaums is a worthwhile movie experience, but hardly one of the best films of the year. It's originality is enough to keep you interested while your watching, but isn't enough to stay in your memory more then three hours after you've left the the theatre. My recommandation, wait for video.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Film of the Year!
Review: I don't quite know how to review this. I'm not going to spoil the film for you, so read spoiler free. Let me first say that this is the best movie of the year! This film is a dramedy but the humor is so dead pan and brilliant. I was amazed that TRT was actaully BETTER than Bottle Rocket AND Rushmore. I've never seen a drama that was this funny. During some scenes the audience was laughing so hard we couldn't really hear what was going on. Sometimes we don't know when to laugh or be sad! The director crams so many jokes into this film. It's something you will think about for days later! The films drama aspect is also there. I would say there is more drama in here than Rushmore, and more humor as well. Think "American Beauty" but better. Ramones, Beatles, Elliot Smith, all part of the soundtrack. What a perfect, hilarious yet heartbreaking story. I don't know how else to describe The Royal Tennenbaums. It's an Instant American Classic. Make sure you check this movie out! It's America's new gem that deserves a Best Picture Oscar and a spot in your DVD library when it's released!
Rating:
Summary: Best movie I've seen in a while......
Review: Hands down probably the best movie I've seen in 2001 at the theatres. It's pure comic genius, and it's also a great story. I agree with everyone else that Gene Hackman did an amazing job, and deserves "best actor" for his role. Angelica was wonderful(she looks great too!)and Gwyneth does a solid performance. This movie has it all, and you'll be tempted to see it twice. See it now!
Rating:
Summary: Wit so Dry it Cracks
Review: "The Royal Tenenbaum's" is Wes Anderson's ode to the dysfunctional American family that he chooses to tell in an astringently dry and emotionally cold mannner. Anderson mines the same territory here that he did in "Rushmore": the American Upper Middle Class...ridiculing it's apparent faults and foibles.
Even though all the characters can produce a witticism about which we can wryly chuckle, the Tenenbaums are not cozy, not particularly nice nor do we much care for any of them except maybe the erstwhile "villian," Royal Tenenbaum portrayed by Gene Hackman who brings a whole lotta life to the proceedings.
Royal Tenenbaum, supposedly on his last legs physically and definitely penniless, after getting thrown out of his hotel of 22 years for non-payment of rent, descends upon the Tenenbaum home looking for a place to stay and maybe die. At the same time all the rest of family comes home to live for various reasons mostly having to do with one form of paranoia or another.
This motley crew proceeds to grate on each other's nerves, close up emotionally and generally act in as ungracious a manner as possible. So what else did you expect?
All of this said, the film does have a certain "Addams Family" charm and ultimately succeeds by way of the art of accumulation: all the strangeness, all the dry wit, all the petulance, all the snotty comments and neurotic behavior beats us into submission and we leave the theater not better maybe, but somehow wiser.
Rating:
Summary: Almost the perfect movie!
Review: I have not seen a film better than this since Grosse Pointe Blank in 1997. The cast is wonderful. The dialogue is real! It is a laugh a minute. I thank all who brought this movie into existence. 5 stars is not enough!
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