The Masterpieces Vol II. The Royal Tenenbaums

mas⋅ter⋅piece
–noun

1.	a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.

2.	anything done with masterly skill: a masterpiece of improvisation.

3.	a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind: The chef's cake was a masterpiece.

The Masterpieces is an ongoing list of the greatest achievements in cinema from around the world. The only requirement is that no movie released in the last year can be added. These are the films that set the highest standards for their art form and respective genres. They can be important socially and universally or they can resonate on a deeply personal level or they can simply be incredibly entertaining.

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The Royal Tenenbaums

Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson
Directed by Wes Anderson

The Royal Tenenbaums is a profoundly special work of cinema. Like all of Wes Anderson's films, its value can only be appreciated with multiple viewings. In fact, to be honest, I barely liked it upon it's release in 2001. I think this is because of Anderson's overwhelmingly dominant and unique style. The most common criticism associated with his body of work is "style over substance". Initially, for me, such an accusation seems preposterous. However, after reflection I realize after one viewing of The Royal Tenenbaums, it is the style that makes the first impression. I have seen the film quite a few times now, and with each viewing, it becomes considerably more substantial. Further examination reveals a remarkable complexity and intricacy, like a truly great work of fiction.

Each character is treated with such love and care by Anderson, it can be a wonder to behold. Many of his characters disagree with each other, hate each other and hurt each other. Yet, it is clear that Wes Anderson loves them all fervently and equally. Is this not powerful in itself? Perhaps even important? The Royal Tenenbaums is the best example of this because there are so many key characters, so many unique profiles with an astounding depth.

I'm realizing it doesn't sound like I'm writing about a comedy, but I am. This movie is very funny. The humour found here is so far removed from the typical American comedy that it's off putting. There is a rare level of class wherein the jokes all serve the story or the characters. Anderson himself stated that nearly everything he does in his films serves the purpose of "bringing the characters forward". One might synopsize that the film is about the character Royal Tenenbaum, a deranged father, trying to earn his family back. Yes, it is about that but it is about every single relationship between every single person in the movie. While all aren't given equal screen time, I still see them as important. How heartbreaking is Margot's neglecting of her seemingly infatuated husband? How interesting is the rivalry between Royal and Henry, even if there only a few brief instances that contribute to it? An entire movie could have been devoted to any of the sole relationships and conflicts.

The difficult to penetrate surface contains a uniquely cinematic soul and a heart of gold, with layers of richness, humour and sadness that add up to one of the best films of the current decade. For newcomers to Anderson's work, I find it's best to watch his films chronologically, or at least with his debut film Bottle Rocket, followed by his sophomore piece, Rushmore. With Bottle Rocket, he had a far more constrained budget and was not yet able to fine tune every detail of each frame as he does now. In the case of Rushmore, he displays a much stronger level of attention to detail but it is still not at the profound level of Tenenbaums and later films. I think if you start out in this manner, you can ease into his work, and the initial viewings are all the more rewarding. I don't mean to point out the meticulously crafted production design and costumes and all other aspects of the visuals as flaws. I only mean that at first the flashiness can distract one from the inner workings of this auteur's brilliant works.

It's a shame that some may be turned off, or at least led astray by the balanced and vibrant visual quirks, because Wes Anderson is one of the finer film makers alive today. He is one of America's strongest voices in movies and this is one of his strongest films. And it's not even his only masterpiece.