Wes Anderson's previous film, Rushmore, was a love it or hate it affair. Anderson tends to give a very thin sketch of a plot to his cast, and lets them fill in the gaps. It was however one of the best - and least seen - films of 1998.

The Royal Tenenbaums sees him refine this formula even further. With an ensemble cast to rival even P.T. Anderson's best efforts, he tells the story of Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), a father who regrets never being there for his now grown-up children and gathers his family together to tell them he's dying.

While this doesn't sound like the recipe for a laugh-a-minute comedy, the laughs come from the brilliantly acted members of the Tenenbaum family, and their subtle character traits.

His three children have been raised since Royal left 20 years ago by their mother Etheleine (Anjelica Huston). Chas (Ben Stiller), a child prodigy and financial whiz, is now a widower and EXTREMELY aware of health and safety law. Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) was a playwright but hasn't written a word in years, and vanished for a few months as a child, returning with a finger missing. Richie (Luke Wilson) was a tennis ace, but has recently suffered a mysterious lack of form and is now on a ship somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Supporting this central cast is a plethora of minor characters, from Margot's dull, bearded scientist husband Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray), and Etheleine's suitor - and possibly the only half-way normal character in the entire film - Henry, played by Danny Glover, to Eli Cash (Owen Wilson, who also co-wrote this film and Rushmore), the kids' childhood friend, wildly successful novelist and drug addict, who only ever wanted to be a Tenenbaum.

In short, this is a touching, hilarious, wonderfully written, beautifully shot tragi-comic masterpiece from one of the upcoming greats of the directing world. Coupled with a low-fi indie soundtrack to die for, you can't go wrong. Unless of course you stay at home and miss it.