(I apologize for seeming to be commenting on seemingly everything of yours today. It's purely coincidental.) Royal was the perfect final role for Hackman. He played the character absolutely flawlessly because I feel he felt a lot of himself in the character. Possibly because of that, I've always felt a kindred spirit in Royal. He's a great character because he seems so real, and, while heartlessly thoughtless or selfish many times, truly does care about others and can recognize his mistakes (if you pull teeth.) I love Wes Anderson, and especially this film. There's a special connection I have with it due to one of my absolute most loved people in the world. We feel like Margot and Richie, in a kind of "in love but beyond ever even conceivably being together again, for a relationship is laughably simple for us." Ironically, my fiancé loathes the film. The universe churns mysteriously.