It feels like early October outside. I have not become used to what passes
for seasons in South Florida - I keep measuring the days by more northerly
standards. Yesterday afternoon, as I was waiting for the bus, I smelled the
air for dusty leaves, smoke, autumn smells. Sniffing comes automatically in
chill weather. This is what South Floridians call winter.
Napalm and I went out to see The Royal
Tenenbaums Sunday. I dunno what those people in the theater were
expecting, but they didn't find it. There was a regular flux of people
leaving throughout the film.
I don't get it. I mean, I could tell from the trailer that it was going
to be a twisted kind of retro thing. The preview just seethed dysfunction
and weirdness. So I was not taken by surprise like these people were. Why
did they buy tickets for this thing? What did they think they were getting?
Or did they just pick something at random?
The movie itself I found delightful. Weird, warped, twisted, surprising.
I had not been prepared to hate Gene Hackman's character, but oh I did.
What an ass! What a jerk! I really found myself sympathizing with the poor
family afflicted by his existence.
I guess The Royal Tenenbaums is supposed to be a redemption tale. It
does kinda do that, but not in a sappy, syrupy way. I hated Royal just as
much at the end as I did at the beginning.
It was really refreshing to see Ben Stiller doing a role a little more
serious in nature. Hell, a LOT more serious. Chronically serious.
For some reason, this movie reminded me a lot of Hotel New Hampshire, and
then reminded me strongly of some other Irving novels - The World According
to Garp and The Cider House Rules. Seems like The Royal Tenenbaums is weird
in just that kind of way, a pervy, flawed, kind of retro way.
Spring sez go see it. Just watch out for your expectations.
