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July does more than deliver the classic film line-up that movie lovers have been waiting for all year – it also marks the 22nd birthday of House Samyan, the independent cinema that's stood shoulder to shoulder with Bangkok's film crowd for over two decades. It's no small player, either: this is the only indie picture house in Thailand to land a spot among the world's 100 best cinemas, as crowned by Time Out Worldwide.
All month long, expect special events, hand-picked screenings and a good few surprises thrown in for the regulars. The big one is the House Classics programme, which drags Wes Anderson's masterpiece 'The Royal Tenenbaums' (2001) back onto the big screen where it belongs.
This comedy-drama is a proper turning point in Anderson's career – the film where his whole aesthetic clicked firmly together and became the blueprint everyone now recognises as 'the Wes Anderson style'. You know the one: pastel palettes, perfect symmetry and characters who never quite crack a smile.
The story follows the gloriously dysfunctional Tenenbaum clan, each member lumbered with their own private mess. A father teeters on the edge of financial ruin, a mother gears up to remarry, an eldest son turned wealthy businessman lives in dread of accidents, an artist daughter wrestles with creative burnout and a former tennis prodigy nurses a hopelessly impossible love. It all unspools through Anderson's deadpan wit, warmth and quiet melancholy, tucked beneath those famously vivid colours.
Past the razor-sharp script, the film earns its reputation through precise camera moves, obsessive production design and a cast of misfits who somehow worm their way under your skin. The line-up is ridiculous in the best way, featuring Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Danny Glover, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson.
Lifelong devotee or total newcomer, this is a rare chance to catch 'The Royal Tenenbaums' in an actual cinema again while toasting House Samyan's birthday month. July promises quality programming, special events and plenty more up its sleeve – follow House Samyan's page to keep tabs on it all.