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Sacred Cow! This was the first Wes Anderson movie I ever saw, so there's that. I dragged my Mom and her partner to see it and they both came out shaking their heads, but not me. I had no idea who he was as a director and was just really getting into film, but like all of the films in my pantheon, it registered clear as a bell even though I didn't understand it right away.
Also, Gene Hackman.
There's a difference between "Really Good Movie" and "(Possible) Sacred Cow." The Royal Tenenbaums is the former.
I've been going through the works of Robert Altman lately, and so naturally my viewings have been ensemble heavy. I went back to Tenenbaums for this discussion, and although this is a very fun movie, I don't think that Wes Anderson handles the large ensemble in the masterful way that Altman, PT Anderson, or Richard Linklater have in the past. It's definitely more entertaining than the low points in Wes Anderson's career, but I don't think that it perfects its style the way Rushmore or The Grand Budapest Hotel did, and for that I vote NO. Great movie, but not an all-timer.
I don't consider The Royal T one of the best of Mr Anderson's film and would rate Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom and Fantastic Mr Fox and even Life Aquatic ahead of it. I would argue that Royal Tennenbaum's is Wes Lite and would instead argue for Budapest Hotel to be considered a Sacred Cow, even though it is his most recent film (as Director).
Oh C'mon. It's a fine movie, but it's still as false as idols get.
In my opinion, this is an unfair question. I don't believe that you can split all movies into two simple categories. Calling the movie a sacred cow is butting it up there with films like The Godfather, Mulholland Drive, and Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed which are absolute masterpieces that are nearly flawless. Calling it a false idol would connote that the film was bad. Would that it were so simple. I think that the film is good while others adore the film and a few find it completely overrated. I could not decide between the two so I had to compromise. I'm picking that it is a sacred cow because I'm a naturally optimistic person. But now I feel morally compromised.
Thanks Adam and Josh.
P.S. While I was typing this up I just figured out that the monsters unleashed subtitle in Scooby Doo is a dog pun. I learn something new and fascinating about that film everyday.
A Sacred Cow starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Holy Cow!
To me, It's a masterpiece. And I don't throw that term around lightly.
I've been listening to you since the first moment, and it is with sadness I've been finding myself thinking maybe t's time to let go... It seams I'm the only one maturing... Let me refrase it: considering you once had "Marathons" on Ingmar Bergman, Film Noir, Kurosawa, Korean, Iranian, Kiéslowski, Herzog/KK, '70 Sci-Fi, man, you're IMMATURING.
BE REAL-CUT THE BULLSHIT-LIFE IS TO SHORT-STOP WAITING MY TIME WITH GARBAGE!
... I'll give it 6 more months to get it together, to stop the Christian Thinking and shit, to get into a Eric Rohmer frame of mind.
Thank you for the hours of deep quality entertainment in our past.
Tiago
From Vancouver
I don't love Wes Anderson as a filmmaker. His films are made with an impeccable visual sense and I think anyone who says that they are anything less than immaculately designed is overlooking Anderson's undeniable genius. That being said, his stories rarely share the same vibrancy as his worlds.
I'd argue Tenenbaums is the exception. Though his casts are always varied, no other film has Anderson giving so much time and attention to so many of his characters. No one has to be less of a person at the expense of another, which is also a key theme Anderson introduces about familial dynamics. Maybe the material suits his style, (wouldn't we all define our family as a cavalcade of conflicting characters?) but for whatever reason Tenenbaum's colourful world plays as a stage to colourful characters; a result of their eccentricities, and not the other way around.
Tenenbaums should be a sacred cow. Not just because its a good film, but because I've come to like this Josh guy a lot. I think he deserves a win. (Revenant > Hateful Eight).
I used to joke that Wes Anderson didn't make movies, he made the living paintings from Harry Potter. Each of his films does this to a differing degree, and like salt in a soup, every pinch makes it tastier, until suddenly it doesn't. "The Royal Tennenbaums" hits the sweet spot, and better than any of his films, it actually uses these stylized elements to help us understand and feel for the characters.
So many things that on their own could be a distraction come together to make this movie a masterpiece. Narration paradoxically allows the performances to stand on their own, rather than giving them the burden of exposition. Anderson's dialogue can feel affected, but it makes sense for these people so defined by their affects. Yet we have a rich understanding of their true selves and their inner lives through not only the narration, but a just masterful use of music. Just watch Margot meeting Ritchie at the dock again, Ritchie staring himself in the mirror contemplating suicide, or Mordecai's flight to "Hey Jude".
This film is a beautiful, moving, emotional story of family, but one that could only be made by this director. I actually think "Darjeeling Limited" is a better movie (a re-watch left me shocked at how amazing it is), but "The Royal Tenenbaums" takes its "Wes-Anderson"-iness to the next level, and I think it's logical conclusion, and for that deserves a spot in the Pantheon. His movies since "Darjeeling" have blown past that logical conclusion, and unfortunately his characters have suffered for it. I don't get excited for Wes Anderson movies anymore, but I hold out hope he'll remember someday that the faces in those portraits were people. He certainly knew it when he made this film, my most re-watched and favorite of all time.
As much as it pains me, I have to say false idol. Tenenbaums is in my top 10 favs of all time, but even I can see that, in Wes Anderson's filmography, Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom feel like more sacred cow/pantheon worthy. I say that only because Rushmore is probably his most important/impactful, while Moonrise may be his closest to a pure emotional journey, while maintaining his quirk and visual charm. My romantic heart says yes, but my logical mind says no. And I approach Josh Larsen levels of Wes Anderson adoration.
I loved it when I first saw it way back when, mostly because Royal reminded me of my own Dad... but was appaled when I rewatched it recently by all that sappy, cute quirkyness. Gene Hackman is such a great actor, maybe just a great character, and so is Angelica Houston, so there are almost some real moments - but ultimately Anderson is just afraid of everything. Everything and anything real. So he douses it with this quirky syrup till it drowns like a fly in honey.
It's less focused than Rushmore, but the scope is enlarged from a delinquent boy up to an entire nuclear family. Plus it's the perfect degree of archness before tipping over into mannerist Wes. The montage of Royal "brewing some recklessness" into his grandsons set to "Me and Julio" is an all-timer.
I find Wes Anderson's universe way too overrated in general. Sure he is immensely inventive and imaginative visually but when it comes to directing actors I feel that he fails miserably. And the reason for that is that most of the characters in his movies have one and only expression/voice, deadpan. Now don’t get me wrong, I love deadpan as a means of humour. Bill Murray built a great career playing deadpan (and it comes as no surprise that he is present in so many of Wes’ films). But it defies the purpose when everyone in the film is deadpan. This creates a vacuum that sucks any hint of reality, and might be ok if you are making just a comedy (or not if you are Napoleon Dynamite). But if you want to combine comedy with drama, like Wes does all the time, the transition from the comedic to the dramatic falls short and looks unrealistic. Why should I as a viewer care about the feelings of characters that up to this point were presented as emotionless?
This outrageous cinematic sin that doesn’t let me sleep at nights is particularly present in the Tenebaums. In paper the plot is interesting, funny and dramatic but as delivered on screen I find it emotionally empty and quite honestly tiring.
OK movie? Yes. Sacred cow? Hello no.
I know that I’m in the minority here, but that’s just my opinion and we all know what uncle Clint said about opinions…
PS. Oh and Paltrow is awful as usual.
The 33rd best movie of the 00s, so no.
I'm due for a rewatch of The Royal Tenenbaums, but of Anderson's films, it's the only one that hit me on a serious emotional beat on the first watch. Sure, the tragedies of Dignan and Steve Zissou come to life on rewatches, but the Tenenbaums are quite sad folks, and when the film reaches its emotional climax, I was affected.
The last writing collaboration between Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, and the last time Luke appeared in one of Wes's movies, this movie is the coming together and dissolution of family. I'd probably seek to dub any of Anderson's first six films Sacred Cows (well, I'm one of those people who think Rushmore endorses Max a little too much) but The Royal Tenenbaums is probably the one that's easiest to agree upon.
Favorite movie of all time. Not best, just favorite. I wouldn't put it up against the Sight and Sound list, there's just something about this movie that makes me need to watch it once a year. It's the Citizen Cane of Anderson's career. It has all the best of what made him such a celebrity filmmaker.
The cinematic relevancy: There are French new wave influences and homages all over Anderson's work, but there's a real subtlety to his craft here - something he immediately lost after making The Royal Tenenbaums. Not like the "Hey! This is just like a movie from the 60's! Hey, you! Are you getting this?! I'll show you again, check it out! Just like the 60's, huh?!?!" that I suffered through in some of his lesser films.
The performances: There's the dead pan acting we've all come expect from a Wes Anderson movie, but in RT there's actual feeling behind the disconnected affectations - a true sadness and isolation that this family has been putting a facade of success over for so long that all they can display is Salinger-esque detachment. They're still quirky, but there's deep loneliness underneath that quirk. I believe that the whole cast is doing the best work of their careers, but Angelica Huston as the Tenenbaum's matriarch Etheline is the most fully-realized and complex character in the Anderson canon. She's nurturing, stern, cold, firey, and all the while giddy as a school girl over her and Danny Glover's courtship.
The set design: that house actually exists, so while it's fun to see the doll house effect used in his other movies, 111 Archer Avenue feels lived in and alive, not like one of Max Fisher's diorama stage sets (Rushmore is my other favorite, don't worry).
The music - the soundtrack is still something I listen to regularly, and it's not all harpsichord and jingle bells. There's whimsy with Paul Simon and Nico, and there's darkness and melancholy with Elliott Smith and John Lennon. And it's Mothersbaugh at his personal best. The instrumental score as well as the songs can reduce me to tears even if I'm not watching the movie, because the musical placement in the film itself is so integral, it's evocative even when taken completely out of context. When I hear Nick Drake sing "Peace, give me a second grace", all I see is Richie in the back of the bus in hospital scrubs (Oh, ARE they?) after his suicide attempt. And Needle In the Hay will never not be associated with "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow."
And, of course, the stakes: What is more important in life than family? Royal's scheme to con his ex-wife into letting him leach off of her and their kids after a life time of betrayal and neglect by faking his own imminent death turns into something else completely. It's new lease on life story in the least cheesy iteration I've seen in film. He gains a true respect and adoration of his ex-wife, children, grandsons, and even Henry, Ethel's new love. When he tells Richie that being this close to death has changed his point of view, and Richie comes back with "But dad, you were never dying," Royal's response is "But I'm gonna live!" and just like that all the dust in my apartment finds its way to my face and it's gonna be a while before my eyes stop watering.
I'm not an Anderson devotee. It's actually one of only 3 that I even like. You guys had my Margot and Richie tattoo on the website during the movie tats discussion. Biggest honor of my life so far ;)