Sunday, January 10, 2016

THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS (2001)

FILMS FROM THE 21st CENTURY
(Post 24 of 50)

Some quick takes on the most relatively recent listings from the
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list


I'm not totally as on-board the Wes Anderson bandwagon as some others are, but I think this story of three gifted children and the father that deserted them is probably my favorite of all his films that I've seen. Clever, quirky script and a cast that's clearly having a fun time, especially Gene Hackman as the family patriarch.


Shortly after I watched The Royal Tennenbaums, I just happened to be reading J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey for my book group. I began to notice similarities between the the book and the film as I was reading, as they both featured precocious children all appearing on a whiz kid quiz show in their youth and growing up to have a multitude of emotional problems in adulthood. It turns out that Anderson was a big Salinger fan, as fans of the director probably already know.


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