Royal Tenenbaums ((exclusive))

★★★★½ (Masterpiece)

The film’s axis is Royal Tenenbaum. Hackman, in a career-best comedic performance, plays him as a man of infinite charm and zero responsibility. He steals a dog, lies about his medical history, and tries to buy his son’s affection with a stolen bird. Yet, Hackman finds the glimmers of a broken father who, in his own twisted way, realizes he wasted his chance. When he finally tells Chas, “I’ve had a rough year, dad,” and Royal softly replies, “I know you have, Chasie,” it is a moment of such earned, quiet catharsis that it shatters the film’s ironic veneer. royal tenenbaums