The Darjeeling Limited
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Movie Reviews of The Darjeeling Limited
Movie Review: Offbeat + Quirky + scenic = a good movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I enjoyed this movie with its quirkiness--three brothers with serious, yet goofy looks on their faces, and silly antics, is fun to watch.
Francis nearly died in a motorcyle accident (Owen Wilson), and now is examining the importance of his life. Forever playing the role of bossy, big brother, he convinces his younger brothers to join him on a spiritual journey in India to reconnect and become close, like they used to be. He also has a hidden motive to reconnect to their vanishing mother who lives as a nun in India after their father's death (Angelica Huston). Much of the movie happens on this train called the Darjeeling Limited, winding throughout the exotic countryside of India.
Jack (Jason Schwartzman) always walks around barefooted, in a suit; Peter (Adrian Brody) wears his deceased father's sunglasses, with the prescription still in them; Francis walks around with a head full of gauze bandages, with one fancy, black shoe on, and one street-bought, moccasin-like shoe on (after getting one of his $3000 shoes stolen from an Indian shoe-shine boy).
Their journey is one of forever getting into trouble on the train, and glimmers of self-discovery--one heroic deed, resulting in life-and-death, offers the brothers a good look at themselves.
The tossing away of the precious, yet burdensome luggage seems also symbolic of lugging around "extra baggage". In the end, the brothers toss it all behind themselves, showing the importance of freeing oneself from ludicrous amounts of materialistic excess.
Like the brothers, we are all on that long, winding journey of figuring out who we are and why we do the crazy things that we do. In the end, maybe the brothers have tossed out extra junk, mind-dulling drugs and all, but still--the goofy bad boys that they are--go out for a smoke and a drink.
Seemingly more trusting, the brothers seemed to have a new appreciation of each other. Was this trip a great awakening and life changing experience? Perhaps, but the ending is not "happily ever after" which is OK by me.
Movie Review: Brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
OK,most of the reviews I've read here are annoying-trying to be cool or hip,or review-like.
That's fine,but many,and I mean several that I read,got the info wrong about the content of the film itself-storyline type of errors.
So rent the movie yourself,or buy it if you are already a Wes fan,and judge for yourself.
I loved this film-my favorite of his so far,actually.
If you've never left the USA,you may not get it.
And I've seen newspaper reviews talking about how cliche it is-but they are missing that this is exactly the point.
The characters are and deliver their lines as though they are echos of themselves-so their cliche words take on a humorous and ironic tone,which is amusing and interesting.
As well,the movie plays on not only east and west,but male/female AND especially,in my opinion,where we are heading collectively,if one can even attempt to know this.
There's a funeral scene that rivals the best movie scenes ever,IMHO.
And,of course,the soundtrack is part and parcel-would not be as clever and funny without it.
Let go of your expectations about Anderson's films,and in fact let go of your linear time movie watching mind-this film is poetic and fluid in it's delivery. It is meant to feel like scenes quilted together,choppy but with a sensical nonsense tone-just like a night of dreaming.
Anyway,I loved it. It is,btw,not nearly as heavy as Royal Tannenbaums,and not as polished as rushmore (again,my opinion is that this is on purpose;Darjeeling is scattered and that is it's point.). The eccentric quirkiness remains.
Movie Review: Great Movie, So-So DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
The first Wes Anderson movie I saw was "Rushmore," and it has always been my favorite--perhaps because it was the first I saw. I have enjoyed all of Anderson's other films, but "The Darjeeling Limited" is, like Rushmore - Criterion Collection a special favorite.
"Darjeeling" has the elements we have come to expect from Anderson: eccentric characters, exploration of family (and family-like) relationships, beautiful visuals and settings, interesting music. etc. And, of course, it features some of the familiar family of actors who have appeared in previous films, including Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston and Bill Murray.
This is not to say that Anderson's films are all the same. Each is a unique journey, but the writer/director has put his stamp on them to make each a "Wes Anderson" film, as surely as other great directors have done. Where but in a Wes Anderson film could a train get lost and go off course?
If you have enjoyed other Anderson films, you will definitely want to see "Darjeeling." If you have not seen any of his previous films, you might start with this one and/or "Rushmore." In many ways, these two films may be his most accessible.
Although the movie is wonderful, the DVD is somewhat disappointing. The packaging is very plain and the only extras are the "Hotel Chevalier" short and a making-of documentary. No commentary track or other extras. Guess we have to wait for the Criterion Collection DVD for those.
Movie Review: A strong addition to a full body of work
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie feels no different than any other Wes Anderson film - it has Owen Wilson and Bill Murray and Anjelica Huston in it - and yet, there's something different. What is it that is not quite the same? Is it the fact that the film is set in India, that his cast of characters now includes Adrian Brody, or that it's finally been made clear that all the films are intended to run together? There's nothing in the films any more that can be separated from one another, and maybe that's a good thing - aren't Nobel prizes granted for a cohesive body of work, rather than a single masterpiece? Non sequitar dialogue, non sequitar scenery, the trademark drift around the location, and the subtle (but hilarious) sight gags - in this one, our protagonists inexplicably buy a cobra at market. This one has the heavily mustachioed Jason Schwartzman, an actor I don't know but have enjoyed in this film; he also helped to write the screenplay, indicating that he's entered the troupe (maybe he's been in it for a while and I'm only noticing now...). Flashback scenes where he is clean shaven are interesting for contrast, as is the "play before the movie" sequence with him and Nathalie Portman, playing a slutty something-or-other. The film strikes me as one of the more enjoyable Wes Anderson movies. I like it. Bill Murray's small, subtle role is great (some may consider it a mere sight gag), as is the Indian setting, as are the train staff, as are the villagers, as is the tiger. Go, tiger, go.Movie Review: How can a train be lost?
Summary: 5 Stars
Probably one of the better questions asked on this journey. Wes Anderson takes the audience on yet another humorous voyage of discovery aboard the Darjeeling Limited, but not without a little misdirection first. Just when you think this is going to be another movie with Bill Murray, Adrien Brody overtakes the "businessman" on the railway platform and leaps aboard the departing train, joining his brothers in a first class cabin where they are treated to sweet limes by the lovely Rita.
Anderson returns to an early format, Bottle Rocket, in setting up this spiritual journey led by the intrepid Owen Wilson. Jason Schwartzman, who gets writing credits this time around, fills out the trio. The movie drifts along at the pace you would expect from Anderson, less a travelogue of India than it is a clever study on fraternal relations. We do get a spicy taste of India, replete with a splendid array of colors and a very touching sequence of events in an Indian village, not to mention another fun soundtrack drawing on the Kinks, Stones and even Joe Dassin. The brothers finally do seem to reforge their bond, with an ironic wink.
The DVD includes the all important "Hotel Chevalier," cast in warm yellow tones, that is referred to throughout the film, underscored by Peter Sarstedt's wonderful "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)". It provides important clues to Schwartzman's character and features a fetching Natalie Portman as Jack's girlfriend. See it first.