The Darjeeling Limited

After three viewings of "The Darjeeling Limited" I find myself quite certain that this is not Wes Anderson's best film in the sense that it's not his best-paced film and it may have some moments that are a little too heavy-handed. However, I find that these little flaws add to the charm of the film because of the way it is constructed and written. It almost feels like one is part of the journey and since no journey of this sort is perfect or fully enjoyable it's almost fitting that this film isn't

I laughed out loud more during "The Darjeeling Limited" than during any other Wes Anderson movie, although "Rushmore" is probably more of an outright comedy. This screenplay wasn't written with Owen Wilson, as Anderson instead chose to team up with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman for this project, presumably due to Wilson being too busy to do it. The result is a slightly inconsistent (and, as mentioned before, heavy-handed) screenplay but one with loads of delicious irony, wit, and dry humor. It's great stuff, really. There is a lot of depth to be found here as well, especially with Anderson's use of recurrent imagery in the film. There is perhaps more maturity and understanding of human nature here than in any previous Wes Anderson films.

The acting is once again top-notch here from Brody, Wilson, and Schwartzman, and Anderson's use of music is again incredibly fitting and beautiful while also being perhaps less frequent and distracting than his other films, allowing less room for accusations detractors frequently make that Anderson is nothing more than a glorified music video director. Also of note while discussing music is the use of various Satyajit Ray compositions in an acknowledgment of one of his cinematic idols and main inspirations, not only for this film but in general.

"The Darjeeling Limited" demands multiple viewings. It is a rich, complex, detailed, and gorgeous film which is a unique and fascinating look at some familiar thematic material recurrent in Anderson's work. It's not a perfect film, but it's definitely one of the best films of the year.

This movie is absolutely hilarious if you enjoy dry, intellectual humor that sometimes takes a moment to sink in. The comedy is not upfront, but is often derived from the situations the characters find themselves in, or even the response of auxiliary characters to the main characters' actions (like all Wes Anderson movies). Also like all Wes Anderson movies the characters' words are blunt, but the overall meaning of the film is abstract with room for individual viewers to experience it as they will. If new to Wes Anderson films, I would recommend The Life Aquatic or Moonrise Kingdom to get acquainted with the style before The Darjeeling Limited. Points were only detracted here, in my opinion, for lack of development of certain scenes and an overall limited plot (albeit expanded by the ample opportunities for extrapolations on the part of the viewer). In short, I would highly recommend - especially for anyone who already knows they love Wes Anderson films.

Wes Anderson's greatest strength as a filmmaker, in my opinion, is his ability to elevate something simple and basic into something majestic and extraordinary.

The Darjeeling Limited is a simple story about three brothers who go on an international trip to find peace in their minds and relationships; which we've already witnessed countless times before, but the way it has been told & presented to us is quite remarkable to say the least.

Mr Anderson has brought his oddities, his trademark quirkiness, and made his movie stand out from the crowd, making it distinctive. Furthermore, the three leads' electrifying chemistry makes it all the more lively and exciting.

I am a fan of Wes Anderson's movies. I liked all his previous offerings: Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Rushmore, in particular, was superb. All had a similar structure: character-driven, rather than plot-driven, dramas with moments of offbeat comedy and quaint bitter-sweet pictures of everyday people and the ups and downs of their lives.

The Darjeeling Limited is no exception, in terms of structure, and for the first half of the movie promises to be at least as good as his best (i.e. Rushmore, for me). However, it loses direction, focus and momentum in the second half, to the point that I was eagerly waiting for it to end.

It could have been a lot better.

The Darjeeling Limited is certainly a visually appealing movie. The rich colors of southeast Asia mesh wonderfully with Anderson's penchant for precise set-pieces, and it make the entire experience a pleasure to watch. 

As for the rest of the movie, you probably already know if you're into Wes Anderson's brand of story. The father issues, the esoteric musical choices, the slightly surreal quality of each character - it's all here. The three brothers are well-conceived, with personalities that directly influence the overall narrative and the resolution. I liked it. It's more of the same, but pleasant enough to make that seem like a minor issue.

Oh, and be sure to watch the Hotel Chevalier short before The Darjeeling Limited. It helps fill in the back-story for one of the brothers, and it's an interesting movie in it's own right.