Change Your Image
kvhaesen
Reviews
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Lasted too long. Disappointing experience, in spite of showing Anderson's potential
This film was a great disappointment, perhaps because I had watched The Grand Hotel Budapest first, a much better movie. The Royal Tennenbaums shows Anderson's talent and potential yet also the many flaws and growing pains that came with this early production. The main flaw however is not the acting nor the storytelling, but simply the film's lenght: instead of 110 minutes, this film should have lasted maximum 90 minutes! The redundant 20 minutes consist of unnecessary scenes, random filling or simply bad dialogues. Compared to Wes' later films this one does not live up to the expectations. Moreover, there is a very graphic, disturbing suicide attempt by one of the characters, which is completely out of tune with Anderson's fantasy, colorful style: the scene simply breaks the flow - if one can use that word, because the film never becomes really fluid like The Grand Hotel BUdapest does. It lacks rhythm annd grace.
Interesting only for those who are die-hard Anderson fans and willing to be very forgiving for all the flaws. For all others, I recommend Anderson's later work, especially the animated films and his masterpiece so far, The Grand Budapest Hotel.
6/10 (and I feel I'm still being too generous with my rating).
L'illusionniste (2010)
The movie that should have won the Oscar
This is the animated film that should have won the Oscar it was nominated for in 2011. Unfortunately, the jury chose for -yet another- Pixar blockbuster, not for the originality and poetry of Sylvain Chomet's film. This is an unfair world, but so be it: I am convinced Chomet will get the Oscar some day, if he can keep the level of the Illusionist: a breathtakingly beautiful movie, the best of all animation I have ever seen on the big screen. The rhythm is different from the video-clip-like rhythm of most animation films these days; instead, the slower pace draws our attention on every single significant detail that we would otherwise be unaware of. The references to Jacques Tati as story writer are smoothly integrated. The backgrounds and characters are wonderfully drawn and typical of Chomet's scrupulously detailed and often half romantic, half realist style. I highly recommend this movie to be seen on a big screen, if possible in a theater, for it really deserved to be tasted like a "grand cru", a top ranked French wine.