This quirky, offbeat and original black comedy is an acquired taste that, frankly, won't be for everyone. There's little here that's straightforward, so don't expect an obvious plot with plenty of gags and bellylaughs. An extremely unsettling movie, it's often painfully slow with copious subplots, but, if you're patient, it gradually and warmly delivers.
Directed by Wes Anderson and released in 2002, Gene Hackman (pictured) won a Golden Globe for his powerful portrayal of Royal Tenenbaum, a successful lawyer who reunites the embittered and dysfunctional family he abandoned many years ago. Claiming that he only has six weeks to live and desperate to be forgiven, Royal begins to have a profound effect upon the tortured and eccentric Tenenbaum family. The strong ensemble cast includes Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson.
The Royal Tenenbaums is a Film programme that first aired in 2001 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
