DVD REVIEW:
Some found it arch; some found it twee. There were Rushmore fans who felt that the light touch of rising auteur Wes Anderson got lost amid the Hollywood production values and stars (Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Anjelica Huston). And there were audiences who expected a hip romantic comedy and discovered instead a distanced character ensemble piece with a studied look. But the naysayers were all simply myopic because The Royal Tenenbaums is, in fact, a cinematic treasure trove (distilling J.D. Salinger, Patrick Dennis, The Magnificent Ambersons, Powell and Pressburger, Kaufman and Hart, and myriad other cultural influences) that grows richer and funnier and more moving with repeated viewings. The story of an eccentric, talented, and deeply dysfunctional family, it is set in a fantasy New York City and unfolds in an unfashionably elegant and theatrical manner that can take a bit of getting used to. But as this colorful DVD package (great interviews and commentary track, detailed production materials) attests, it's well worth the effort. The Royal Tenenbaums is the most underrated movie comedy of 2001.
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The Royal Tenenbaums
Starring: Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow
Directed by: Wes Anderson
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Copyright © 2008 Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc.