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The Darjeeling Limited is a film directed by Wes Anderson about three brothers who haven't spoken in a year. One of them suggests that they travel by train across India on a "spiritual journey." Whether or not one can go on such a journey by explicitly planning to is not directly addressed, but is hinted at in one of the brother's meticulous adherence to the trip's itinerary.
The three brothers are played by Owen Wilson (as Francis), Adrien Brody (as Peter), and Jason Schwartzman (as Jack). Francis has recently been involved in a car accident, and spends most of the movie with his head covered in bandages. He is extremely successful, and has an overwhelming desire to control things. Peter is rebellious, sometimes belligerent, and may suffer from a mild form of kleptomania. Schwartzman's Jack is romantic, detached, and understated.
Of course, this is a Wes Anderson film, so everybody is detached and understated compared to any normal person. The film is rife with pregnant pauses and mournful faces. What they're mourning isn't always clear, but it's usually not one specific event. His characters reflect a deep sorrow that seems to come prepackaged with their existence.
This is a crucial part of Anderson's unique style, which seems to be built on contrasts. On the surface, his characters are stoic: motionless, and emotionless. But they are prone to outbursts in both respects, and the change is so dramatic that they seem all the more animated as a result. The characters are restrained, but the restraint is artificial. Real emotion and feeling lies just beneath the surface of his creations, and we gleefully wait for it to push its way out.
The performances are generally strong. Not much is asked of Schwartzman or Wilson. Only Brody gets to convey much in the way of depth, which he does easily. There's a wide array of interesting supporting characters who give the entire production a richer feel. One gets the impression that Anderson spends more time casting his supporting players than some directors do on their leads.
As is typical for any Anderson film, The Darjeeling Limited doesn't really fit into any one genre. It is equal parts heartbreaking and amusing. It turns from comedy to tragedy on a dime, and, if nothing else, is genuinely unpredictable.
However, as enjoyable as this film is at times, it lacks an emotional payoff. Characters do change, and they learn things about one another they didn't know before, but the film distinctly builds toward a series of resolutions that simply don't take place. In their place, it substitutes an intriguing (but less satisfying) nod to Hinduism, a fitting parallel to draw in a film that works best as a tribute and celebration to the beauty of India.
Ultimately, The Darjeeling Limited is an exercise in style over substance. Though all of Anderson's trademark familial dysfunctions are touched on here, they're never given the same level of attention they've received in his previous works. The film treats their lives and problems like little more than brief stops along the train's path, and is more about the journey itself.
The three brothers are played by Owen Wilson (as Francis), Adrien Brody (as Peter), and Jason Schwartzman (as Jack). Francis has recently been involved in a car accident, and spends most of the movie with his head covered in bandages. He is extremely successful, and has an overwhelming desire to control things. Peter is rebellious, sometimes belligerent, and may suffer from a mild form of kleptomania. Schwartzman's Jack is romantic, detached, and understated.
Of course, this is a Wes Anderson film, so everybody is detached and understated compared to any normal person. The film is rife with pregnant pauses and mournful faces. What they're mourning isn't always clear, but it's usually not one specific event. His characters reflect a deep sorrow that seems to come prepackaged with their existence.
This is a crucial part of Anderson's unique style, which seems to be built on contrasts. On the surface, his characters are stoic: motionless, and emotionless. But they are prone to outbursts in both respects, and the change is so dramatic that they seem all the more animated as a result. The characters are restrained, but the restraint is artificial. Real emotion and feeling lies just beneath the surface of his creations, and we gleefully wait for it to push its way out.
The performances are generally strong. Not much is asked of Schwartzman or Wilson. Only Brody gets to convey much in the way of depth, which he does easily. There's a wide array of interesting supporting characters who give the entire production a richer feel. One gets the impression that Anderson spends more time casting his supporting players than some directors do on their leads.
As is typical for any Anderson film, The Darjeeling Limited doesn't really fit into any one genre. It is equal parts heartbreaking and amusing. It turns from comedy to tragedy on a dime, and, if nothing else, is genuinely unpredictable.
However, as enjoyable as this film is at times, it lacks an emotional payoff. Characters do change, and they learn things about one another they didn't know before, but the film distinctly builds toward a series of resolutions that simply don't take place. In their place, it substitutes an intriguing (but less satisfying) nod to Hinduism, a fitting parallel to draw in a film that works best as a tribute and celebration to the beauty of India.
Ultimately, The Darjeeling Limited is an exercise in style over substance. Though all of Anderson's trademark familial dysfunctions are touched on here, they're never given the same level of attention they've received in his previous works. The film treats their lives and problems like little more than brief stops along the train's path, and is more about the journey itself.