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Traveta reviews
Touchstone Pictures
- Cert: R
- Cat.no: 24022
- Running time: 110 minutes
- Year: 2001
- Pressing: 2002
- Region(s): 1, NTSC
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English
- Widescreen: 2.40:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: 2 * DVD 9
- Price: $22.95
- Extras: Audio commentary by Wes Anderson, Cast interviews and behind-the-scenesfootage, Out-takes, The Peter Bradley Show featuring interviews with additionalcast members, The Art of the Movie, Trailers, Collectable insert including EricAnderson’s drawingskit.
Director:
- Wes Anderson
Screenplay:
- Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson
Cast:
- Royal Tenenbaum: Gene Hackman
Ethel Tenenbaum: Angelica Houston
Chas Tenenbaum: Ben Stiller
Margot Helen Tenenbaum: Gwyneth Paltrow
Richie Tenenbaum: Luke Wilson
Eli Cash: Owen Wilson
Henry Sherman: Danny Glover
Raliegh St.Clair: Bill Murray
Being the first Wes Anderson film I’ve seen since Rushmoreand a Criterion Collection DVD to boot Iexpected a lot from it. Plus, I’ve read glowing reviewsabout it since it was released. That’s the one thingI’ve discovered that can make a movie not be so great.Overhype and expecting too much lead to a movie’sdownfall before you even give it a chance. Don’t getme wrong, I liked the movie. But I think I might haveliked it a little more if I hadn’t read reviews andsuch.
The Royal Tenenbaums is about a family who hasblessed with geniuses as children. One is ChasTenenbaum (played by Ben Stiller) who was a realestate buyer in his early teens. Richie Tenenbaum(Luke Wilson) was a great tennis player whoturned pro after high school. The last is MargotTenenbaum (Gwyneth Paltrow), their adopteddaughter but she was a playwright at an early age andsold many of them. The family was split apart afterRoyal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) and EthelTenenbaum (Angelica Houston)… er splitapart (I hate using the same phrase or word in the samesentence). After being separated for 17 years, thefamily somehow gathers under the same rooftop andproblems ensue as Chas and Margot still do notindentify Royal as their father.
The film is stylized by Wes Anderson’s trademarkfeel and it shows. The characters are good and noteasily forgotten as are the story and setting.
Into the disc. Tenenbaums is presented in 2.40:1.The quality of the video will be noticed right away.It’s not unusual for Criterion to have such greattransfers but this was great. There were nocompression artifacts, no scrathes or anything.Occasionally, like on a wall or something, you couldsee VERY minor grain that wouln’t be noticeable if youwere just watching and not reviewing it (hey, I haveto look for some problems). The colors are sharp andeverything looks great. Ranks up there withO Brother, Where Art ThouandThe Devil’s Backbone.
The sound is great too. It’s been awhile since Ihave experienced a really bad audio track so prettymuch every one of my reviews will be good about audio.Anyway, Criterion also put a DTS 5.1 track on herewhich I didn’t really think was done on these typeDVDs but it’s still welcome. Only English audio isprovided and a commentary by Anderson is also there.
The extras are top-notch from Criterion as always.Behind-the-scenes, outtakes, interviews, you name it,it’s here. A lot of care was put into it just likethere other DVDs and everything was supervised by WesAnderson including the video transfer.
Overall, I enjoyed the film alot more than Rushmore.The characters were all good (Chas and Eli were myfavorites) and acted out very well. But afterwatching films like this, you get to thinking aboutit’s bad spots and at times it felt drug out. Butstill, a definite recommend for rent or buy.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALLEmailTraveta
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.