Jenn’s Dusty Shelf

Revisiting this film time and again has never disappointed me, ever. Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums is easily my favorite movie of all time — reason being the quirky characters. Anderson picked a stellar cast, including Gene Hackman as Royal Tenenbaum, Luke Wilson as Richie Tenenbaum, Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum, and Ben Stiller as Chas Tenenbaum, just to name a few. The plot follows the dysfunctional family during a transitional period for each of its members. The cast is simply outstanding in their transformation to these odd and complex characters. ?Anderson’s use of color is a feast for the eyes the entire duration of the film. The soundtrack is possibly one of the greatest ever assembled, and includes a symphonic version of Hey Jude, some Elliott Smith, and a classic from the Rolling Stones. It is apparent that each song was carefully selected to ensure proper emotion, successfully establishing mood in momentous scenes.

This film should have been more popular during the time of its release, but it was overlooked for reasons I cannot begin to comprehend. The dark humor of the film leaves you pondering, while silently smirking. You owe it to yourself to see this film, to add a little Wes Anderson to your collection; doing so will leave you yearning for more films of this caliber.?

WHY YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM: ?In possibly one of the most beautiful cinematic moments ever captured on film, Richie is waiting for his adopted sister, Margot, to pick him up from the Green Line Bus station after returning from a stint on the Cote de Voir. While Richie sits at the station among rows of luggage, the scene slows the bus comes to a stop in front of the station, and silence ensues. Once Margot steps off the bus, Nico’s “These Days” begins to play, and she walks toward Richie as the film staggers to slow motion. Intensely moving and incredibly artistic, the scene becomes more significant each time I see it.