Darjeeling Limited (B or 3/4 stars)
All abooaaard 'The Darjeeling Limited', a dramedy directed by Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums). 3 estranged brothers, Francis, Peter & Jack (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman) take a train ride through India one year after the sudden death of their father. The train, 'The Darjeeling Limited', is the main setting for these brothers as they each try to find themselves, & grow closer together on this spiritual journey. Visually (as usual) Anderson paints a pretty picture for us. I enjoy a lot of the dead-pan quirkiness in this film, but it 'does' have its share of bland moments.
After just 2 minutes with these guys, you know that they're all running from something back in the States. Francis was involved in a severe motorcycle accident & is heavily bandaged (the accident may have been intentional); Peter's girlfriend is 7 1/2 months pregnant and he is freaking out; Jack is dealing with the recent collapse of a relationship with his girlfriend. All of these guys are not 'over' their fathers' death. They drink a lot, smoke a lot, pop pain pills, drink Indian cough syrup to get high, & look for sexual release. Peter, in particular, lugs around his dad's 11 suitcases, & wears his dad's prescription sunglasses everywhere (only because they were dad's). Each one has reason not to trust one another (Francis talks to Peter behind Jacks back, Jack talks to Peter behind Francis' back, etc.). The strongest moments of the film occur on the train. But events involving pepper spray & a deadly snake get them kicked off & stranded in the desert.
Francis hopes this 'bad luck' will kick-start the emotional healing that he hopes to conjure with his 2 brothers. The film takes an acute, dramatic turn as they're strolling alongside a river. It's this scene which lends one of the very few moments of actual feeling/tangible cross-cultural sentiment. And at the end of their trek is their mom (the always off-beat Anjelica Huston), living in the Indian foothills. She loves her sons very much, but is estranged, as well; she prefers to live her life as a Convent 'Sister' rather than deal with her family woes. As you can see, this is not your ordinary scenario.
There is a lot to admire here. The visuals are iconic, bright, colorful, almost a character in & of itself. Anderson's art direction & cinematography is always rich (adding whatever void of emotion comes from his characters). The music in the film adds to the visual complexion. I also like how Anderson films his actors. Much of this movie focuses on the characters faces & their elongated interactions. For me, it adds a dimension that doesn't necessarily require dialogue (to make a point). I also like how absurd these characters are. While I'm not like any of them, I 'get' who they are. They are, at the same time, pathetic & wonderful.
Wilson impresses me in a rare (for him) lead role, but it's Brody & Schwarztman whose lends the melancholy genius that I enjoy. However, while I smirked (& laughed out loud once or twice), 'Darjeeling' really is a bizarre experience, & like its disoriented train, the film loses some steam. I was always anticipating what these guys would get into next, but the 'next' never quite lived up to expectations. 'Darjeeling' winds up being a colorful road trip in which these brothers strain to soul-search. Hours after viewing the film, I enjoyed most of it, but found the experience a bit stifling in the end.
After just 2 minutes with these guys, you know that they're all running from something back in the States. Francis was involved in a severe motorcycle accident & is heavily bandaged (the accident may have been intentional); Peter's girlfriend is 7 1/2 months pregnant and he is freaking out; Jack is dealing with the recent collapse of a relationship with his girlfriend. All of these guys are not 'over' their fathers' death. They drink a lot, smoke a lot, pop pain pills, drink Indian cough syrup to get high, & look for sexual release. Peter, in particular, lugs around his dad's 11 suitcases, & wears his dad's prescription sunglasses everywhere (only because they were dad's). Each one has reason not to trust one another (Francis talks to Peter behind Jacks back, Jack talks to Peter behind Francis' back, etc.). The strongest moments of the film occur on the train. But events involving pepper spray & a deadly snake get them kicked off & stranded in the desert.
Francis hopes this 'bad luck' will kick-start the emotional healing that he hopes to conjure with his 2 brothers. The film takes an acute, dramatic turn as they're strolling alongside a river. It's this scene which lends one of the very few moments of actual feeling/tangible cross-cultural sentiment. And at the end of their trek is their mom (the always off-beat Anjelica Huston), living in the Indian foothills. She loves her sons very much, but is estranged, as well; she prefers to live her life as a Convent 'Sister' rather than deal with her family woes. As you can see, this is not your ordinary scenario.
There is a lot to admire here. The visuals are iconic, bright, colorful, almost a character in & of itself. Anderson's art direction & cinematography is always rich (adding whatever void of emotion comes from his characters). The music in the film adds to the visual complexion. I also like how Anderson films his actors. Much of this movie focuses on the characters faces & their elongated interactions. For me, it adds a dimension that doesn't necessarily require dialogue (to make a point). I also like how absurd these characters are. While I'm not like any of them, I 'get' who they are. They are, at the same time, pathetic & wonderful.
Wilson impresses me in a rare (for him) lead role, but it's Brody & Schwarztman whose lends the melancholy genius that I enjoy. However, while I smirked (& laughed out loud once or twice), 'Darjeeling' really is a bizarre experience, & like its disoriented train, the film loses some steam. I was always anticipating what these guys would get into next, but the 'next' never quite lived up to expectations. 'Darjeeling' winds up being a colorful road trip in which these brothers strain to soul-search. Hours after viewing the film, I enjoyed most of it, but found the experience a bit stifling in the end.