The Film
Back in 1997, a young director named Wes Anderson did something that his big-named predecessors were rarely able to achieve: He actually got Bill Murray to answer his phone. The two went on to make Rushmore, and pretty much every other movie Anderson has released since.
Acclaim for both Anderson and Murray followed Rushmore, and paved the way for the dream casting of The Royal Tenenbaums. This weird, wonderful story of a not-so-wonderful family features Gene Hackman as family patriarch Royal Tenenbaum, Anjelica Huston as his estranged wife Ethel, and Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson as the duo's grown children.
When Royal finds out that Ethel is considering a proposal from Henry Sherman (Danny Glover), the family's account, he does what any jilted lover would do -- he fakes an illness. As the story unfolds, however, it becomes evident that Royal may actually be the Tenenbaum with the fewest mental issues.
Fans of anyone in the movie may find The Royal Tenenbaums to be a bit on the weird side. That's sort of the point. If you're a fan of Anderson's films, however, you probably know this one by heart. At least, you should.
Want to poke a little more around this famous family tree? Check out Joe Lotizo's theatrical review of The Royal Tenenbaums.
The Picture
This 2.40:1 transfer is very nice -- even Wes Anderson thinks so. According to the Blu-ray's liner notes, he supervised this new digital transfer. It's not perfect, but if you've seen the DVD, you'll instantly notice the improvement. The film has a nice layer of grain, but is otherwise much cleaner and more plesant to watch. Close-ups are when the film is its sharpest. However, the biggest standout is the film's wonderful color palette, which is especially nice on the pink walls, Henry's jacket, and those red jumpsuits.
The Sound
The audio was also remastered into a lone DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It's very good, but definitely not as noticeable as the video upgrade. Dialogue is soft, but clear and centered throughout. Most of the action in the film sticks to the front in general, although occasionally the rears kick out the soundtrack or have a bit of ambience in them.
The Extras
All of the extras have been ported over from Criterion's 2002 DVD release, but there is a lot going on here. There are trailers, deleted scenes, interviews with all of the principle cast members, a selection of photos by set photographer James Hamilton, and Wes Anderson's commentary from the DVD. There's also a great "With the Filmmaker," where Anderson dissects the movie. Unlike a typical promo, there are a lot of behind-the-scenes tidbits in this 27-minute segment. More Blu-rays should include pieces like this.
Fans will also appreciate the insert, which features Anderson's drawings of the Tenenbaum house, as well as a 2002 essay by critic Kent Jones.
Final Thoughts
It's certainly not the best-looking Wes Anderson film on Blu-ray, but The Royal Tenenbaums is one of his best. Period. Criterion has given the film a nice enough release to make it worth picking up. Certainly anyone with the DVD will see and hear the difference and appreciate the upgrade.
Product Details
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