Review of The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) by Sam Y — 12 Jun 2014

I lost count of how many segments I watched this in. This was partly due to my hectic schedule over these last couple weeks (post-exam fun) but deep down I think it reflected my reluctance to finish it.

It uses close-up camera angles and an Alec Baldwin narration to tell a story of a man (Gene Hackman) trying to reconnect with his family. It's comedy relies on the sustained joke that all of these characters have their own odd personalities and obsessions.

This wears thin pretty quickly and there are hardly any actual jokes in it. The themes of depression, death, obsession and broken down relationships does not leave much room for humour; therefore, this represents rather a dull affair than an enjoyable comedy.