Movie Notes: The Darjeeling Limited

March 13th, 2008

= 3 stars

Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody
Directed by Wes Anderson

Synopsis

Three brothers journey to India to find their mother (Angelica Huston) and strengthen their family ties.

The Good

• The backdrop of India is fascinating to watch. Never having been there myself, tiny touches like a silent man sitting at a table reading a newspaper, odd vehicles that seem oddly shaped or on the verge of falling apart, or strange colored decorations.
• Really great soundtrack. It’s one flick where I wish there was a “Buy Now” button you could click and instantly download the song from iTunes.

The Bad

• I’m losing the attraction to the Wes Anderson style which I found rather tired and a bit boring — namely shooting characters head on or in profile, always at eye level, slow-motion set to music, and turning the camera quickly to reveal another scene 90 degrees to the right or left. One could make a drinking game out of it.
• The plot meanders and I never felt like it came to any decent conclusion. After the trio get kicked off the train, I lost much interest.

Conclusion

My favorite Wes Anderson films are still Rushmore and The Royal Tennenbaums. I liked The Life Aquatic less and The Darjeeling Limited less so. Sadly, I feel the once-quirky Wes Anderson style is overwhelming the actors and the characters they play. But what The Darjeeling Limited has going for it is the fascinating backdrop of India. I’d say that makes the film passable as a rental.

IMDB: The Darjeeling Limited
Wikipedia: The Darjeeling Limited
Rotten Tomatoes: The Darjeeling Limited