Wes Anderson
The Royal Tenenbaums

The Tenenbaums, in the '70s, are a relatively happy family. But the children of Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) and his wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston) have extraordinary talents: Chas is a financial prodigy, Margot is a budding writer, and Richie is on the path to becoming a professional tennis player. A few years later, Royal is kicked out of the house due to his numerous affairs; when he returns, claiming he has only six weeks to live, he finds a completely changed family: his wife is dating his accountant, Chas (Ben Stiller), a widower (whose wife cheated on him with Royal) with two children, is a man full of fears; Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) has stopped writing, fallen into decline, and married a scholar about twenty years her senior (Ben Murray), whom she cheats on with her brother Richie's friend, the drug-addicted writer Eli Clash (Owen Wilson); Richie (Luke Wilson), for his part, had a great tennis career, but since the day after his sister's wedding (whom he secretly loves), he hasn't been able to play and only takes care of his falcon. This is the premise of the film.

The entire story revolves around Royal, the father. Gene Hackman, portraying this old man, gives it his all, conveying his concern for the family; the family gathers around him for his last weeks of life, but it seems that, at his death, everything falls apart again, changing almost nothing. The film is divided into chapters from a book, "The Royal Tenenbaums," which is the original title.

The characters in this feature film seem like actual stereotypes. I believe this idea comes from the presentation offered to us: each has their peculiar style of dressing. Royal is always elegant, even when working as an elevator operator, Etheline always wears elegant suits, Chas wears an Adidas red tracksuit throughout the film (except at the end), as do his children; Margot always wears her fur coat and heavy makeup that highlights her absent gaze; Eli is a truly trashy cowboy and Richie is the worst: wearing a tennis shirt with an elegant suit over it. Half of his face is covered by his large sunglasses, and his long John Lennon-style hair is held back by a sports headband. They are, clearly, misfits. Each has their problems and quirks, and this makes them more real and easier to get to know in the limited time a film provides. However, I think calling them stereotypes is not correct; they are more containers of stereotypes, which they will partially manage to shed.

The entire story takes place in New York, mostly in the Tenenbaum house. The small stairs, rooms full of old relics, board games, and boar heads (!!) give us another perspective on their daily madness.

An incredible family story written by director Wes Anderson (The Darjeeling Limited) and the cowboy Owen Wilson, further accredited by their characters. A must-see film for its melancholy and humor, hardly reconcilable but here perfectly mixed.