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HTF REVIEW: "The Royal Tenenbaums" (CRITERION) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

Scott-C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
863
Just rented and watched this DVD tonight. What a great film! I found myself laughing every step of the way, and I really appreciated the way it was filmed and the originality of it. I'll certainly be picking this one up.
 

Ivan_F

Grip
Joined
May 4, 2002
Messages
22
I bought this DVD blind, and I'v grown to appreciate it more with every viewing. A lot of people say that Rushmore is better, but I think that Royal Tenenbaums was a much more brilliant film, but I did watch Rushmore on a P&S VHS tape a couple of years ago, and cost prevents me from perusing the excellent Criterion version. I also have yet to check out the supplements, but I'm in no rush to savor all the goodness that permeates this film. I agree that this movie is not for everyone, but for those that enjoy their movie's a bit offbeat, this is a very worthy candidate.:emoji_thumbsup: :) :D
 

Sarah Temple

Agent
Joined
Jun 12, 2002
Messages
45
personally, i thought the menus were lacking something. if anyone has seen the rushmore menus, they are much better. but thats just what i think
 

Scott-C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
863
I'll agree the menus aren't the most exciting in the world, but I think the real value of this set is the quality of the movie and the transfer, at least for me. They could have done more with the menus, but there is so much else to like about the set that I can overlook it.
 

Brad_V

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 8, 2002
Messages
356
While I was watching this tonight, I kept wondering, "Hmmm, Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller... this is supposed to be a comedy, right?" Someone else already wrote what I am currently thinking about the movie: "Ooooo... look how quirky it is! Surely I'm supposed to like it!"

For those who said they laughed hard and that it was hilarious and all that, what parts did you find hilarious? I'm serious. Like Ron, I almost had to turn the thing off after 30 minutes -- but then I realized that would have meant I had to watch Time Machine, and I didn't want to do that while my brain was still wide awake, either.

A couple parts like the slit-wrists scenes were on the touching side, but someone will have to tell me where the hilarious parts are.
 

Adam Lenhardt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2001
Messages
26,971
Location
Albany, NY
Brad: I guess this just isn't your cup of tea, as it were. It's not a Zoolander type comedy (ala the previous Wilson/Stiller). If you want a turn your brain off comedy, watch Goldmember this weekend. To get all the gags you have to pay fairly close attentions... of course some you might just not find very funny. Personally I consider it Drama first and comedy second.
 

Alex Spindler

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2000
Messages
3,971
Yeah, it seems that both Rushmore and Royal Tenebaums are pretty polarizing, with one set that become rabidly passionate and the other apathetic about it. I would say it's normal. Give it another shot in a year or two. I know it took a viewing or two to really fall in love with Wes's movies.

As for the killer comedy portions (for me anyway)
Any scene of Royal mentally abusing Chas or Margot as children(this is a black comedy for sure)
Royal's dying/living/dying confession
Eli's apartment
Eli's breakdown on camera
The entire wedding sequence

The movie just works for me. Adam nailed it as Drama first, but the comedic sections are priceless.
 

Sebastian_A

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 18, 2001
Messages
133
Well, let me give my opinion on THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS:

First of all, I think it is very much overrated. Whatever critic put this on their top10 list err, disagrees with me all the way. I do not want to crap on someone's opinion, but I think there are just a few things that everyone is able to see...

BOREDOM! Tenenbaums is extremely boring - is there a story? What carries it along is not one interesting situation after another, but just weird gags that never really make you laugh. Of course, this depends on your joke-taste, but: if you overdo the "intellectual joke" thing, it just doesn't work out... .

CAST-WASTE! How can you create a film this bad if you have a cast like this? Come on, 10 top actors, and a script to forget. I was amazed at how boring this A-class bunch could go! I am not saying they acted badly, not at all. The acting was one of the positive parts, BUT: if you're a top actor, and the story just is TOTALLY uninteresting, well, then I guess you're in the wrong movie... .

STEREOTYPE! Okay, so Anderson wanted to show us characters that are over-the-top, but COME ON!!! This is ridiculous - all those Adidas training suits - what the hell is that supposed to tell us, hmm? I think Anderson is kind of sticking it right into our face, and that's BAD - and that's the case with EVERY character! Look at the ridiculous BLACK training suits at the final scene... - jeeez!

I have to admit that the directing was quite excellent. The images Anderson created underline his status as a TOP director, but, be honest: this HAS to be his WORST piece as of today.

Mr. Anderson, I you want to make a movie, that is intelligent and funny, don't put in super-dramatic parts like a suicide attempt. This film has sooooo many things it wants to tell us, but can't really do it for ONE character - all of them remain rather blurry and unrealistic.

Thanks, but no thanks - off to good films!

Seb
 

Scott Weinberg

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2000
Messages
7,477
Well, I'm one of 'em. If loving a movie like The Royal Tenenbaums means I have a 'weird way' of judging a movie, then "weird" is a label I'd wear with pride.
I thought the movie was, quite simply, f***in' brilliant.
You didn't.
Great.
[Post edited for profanity. Just like TBS.]
 

Sebastian_A

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 18, 2001
Messages
133
Scott, didn't mean to offend you!

But, tell me: did the stereo-typing not get on your nerves? I could hardly watch them, as they acted out these "funny characters"... .

Seb
 

Richard Kim

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2001
Messages
4,385
As for the killer comedy portions (for me anyway)
Any scene of Royal mentally abusing Chas or Margot as children(this is a black comedy for sure)
Royal's dying/living/dying confession
Eli's apartment
Eli's breakdown on camera
The entire wedding sequence
The shots of the bizzare paintings at Eli's house. I never laughed so hard at a movie scene before this. :laugh:
 

Scott-C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
863
For me this is definitely a funny movie but in a dark sense. The humor, generally speaking, came from the generally strange, sad, odd lives of the members of this family.

I loved it, even though it wasn't "funny" in the way of many of my other favorite movies. I thought it was brilliant!
 

Marc Colella

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 19, 1999
Messages
2,601
I liked the film, but I found Rushmore to be much better.

I had 4 problems with TRT:

- the tired cliche of someone pretending to be dying in order to get back into the family. The only consilation here was this cliche didn't extend the entire length of the film.

- the casting of Danny Glover. His character was basically Danny Glover with a bad wig. Nowhere in his performance did it feel like he was a different person.

- Bill Murray's character was underutilized.

- Most characters were dressed like they had a gimmick (ie. Cowboy outfit, track suit, professor, tennis outfit). Almost as obvious as The Village People.
 

Adam Lenhardt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2001
Messages
26,971
Location
Albany, NY
I agree to some point with the first three points you made, but:
- Most characters were dressed like they had a gimmick (ie. Cowboy outfit, track suit, professor, tennis outfit). Almost as obvious as The Village People.
That was intentional... Anderson wanted to show every family member as really different from the others, almost like they're not related at all.
 

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