Il treno per il Darjeeling

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.

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.

When deciding whether or not to see this film, the question is very simple: Do you like Wes Anderson's previous work? If you answered yes to this question, you will adore The Darjeeling Limited. If you answered no, you'd better spend your money elsewhere. I personally, fall very deeply into the former category. I've always been a huge Anderson fan and adore all four of his previous efforts, and this certainly ranks among his best (top three, easily). This is a much more guided, inspirational and personal work from the man. While his other features have been more minimalistic and set between a certain group of characters, Darjeeling takes on a much larger world.

The story is about three estranged brothers, Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman). About one year ago their father died and they went their different ways. Of course, nothing can start off too happy in a Wes Anderson world. Francis attempted suicide (the irony is painful), Peter is having a baby with his wife Alice who he always thought he would divorce and Jack is trying to get over a rough break up (some inside jokes for those who have seen Hotel Chevalier are included). Francis decides to reunite these brothers on a spiritual journey across India, via train, and everything happens to go horribly wrong.

The chaos that ensues is quirky, hilarious and utterly perfect for fans of Anderson like myself. The performances from the three leads are brilliant, particularly Adrien Brody whom I thought was going to be out of his Oscar-winning element but actually fit in so well that I preferred him to the rest of the cast. There is a huge turn into a more somber mood about halfway through that brings up memories of Luke Wilson's big scene in The Royal Tenenbaums (nobody tries to commit suicide, mind you) and the film picks up on the dramatic sentiment before jolting right back into the uniquely brilliant world that always keeps my sides in stitches. The man's genius is as strong as ever. This may be his best film and it's certainly his most poignant.

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.

The Darjeeling Limited is unlike the average comedy. While not being truly laugh out loud funny, the film is clever, well written, with memorable characters and one liners that grow wittier over time. The only type of movie it can be compared to are other films by Wes Anderson, the director of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and the love it or hate film, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. All of his movies are extremely stylized, with slow motion sequences, wide lenses that slightly distort the frame, and privileged, depressed characters with family issues all thrown together in a slightly artificial, timeless, carefully detailed environment. While with The Life Aquatic he may have tried to do too much, The Darjeeling Limited shows Anderson finally perfected his style. He knows when to throw inside jokes to his most loyal of fans, while keeping his stories fresh and personal, without acknowledging the critics who blame Anderson for repeating himself.

The film is absolutely engaging from the very start with a hilarious, memorable cameo by Bill Murray, trying to catch the Darjeeling Limited train in slow motion, yet is outrun by Adrien Brody's Peter to the tune of The Kinks' This Time Tomorrow, one of the three Kinks songs in the film (all are accompanied by slow motion sequences). Brody, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson play the three Whitman brothers, Peter, Jack, and Francis. Wilson's character has organized a spiritual journey through India with his brothers who have not spoken to one other since their father's funeral a year ago. Performance-wise, the standout is Wilson, in what might be his best role yet. Owen Wilson seems to play himself in all of his other movies, with Wes Anderson being the only writer/director to truly know how to use his talents. The characters begin to realize that one cannot force a spiritual journey, no matter how many temples visited and organized rituals performed for brotherly bonding as printed on a laminated itinerary. The bender that results is a ridiculously entertaining blend of comedy and drama successfully aided by Anderson's great choice of music and colorful, dynamic cinematography.

Extremely recommended viewing (other than Anderson's previous efforts) before watching this amazing film is Hotel Chevalier, a 13 minute short film directed by Anderson and starring Jason Schwartzman, available for free download online through Itunes. In the film, Schwartzman plays the same character that he plays in The Darjeeling Limited. Also starring is Natalie Portman as Jack's ex-girlfriend, who makes a brief cameo in the feature film as well. The short film helps establish Schwartzman's character, and provides clues on certain details of The Darjeeling Limited. Also, a couple of funny moments in the feature wouldn't make much sense without seeing the short. The emotional, yet blissful experience that is The Darjeeling Limited is Wes Anderson's best film thus far, defeating Rushmore for that top spot.