I can loosely classify The Royal Tenenbaums as an off-beat black comedy, but it pretty much defies description. It won't connect with everybody, but for those it does, it's a real treat. It achieves a comic flavor I haven't really seen before, which is always refreshing. It's well acted and has great wit.

If there is a flaw, it is that the emotional detachment of the characters -- essential to its brand of humor -- keep the audience detached as well. I liked watching the characters, but I'm not sure I cared about them. It's a rough break, because the same thing that kept me out of the dramatic side sold me on the comic side. I'm not complaining; The Royal Tenenbaums is refreshingly original, clever, meticulously detailed, and highly entertaining.