Review of The Darjeeling Limited (2007) by Parker M — 15 Nov 2010

Wes Anderson goes from ship to train in Darjeeling Limited, a not totally original film for Wes Anderson, but it isn't limited in its chemistry, themes and symbols. The biggest problem with Darjeeling is that it falls where its predecessors fell, but it excels where its predecessors failed.

The general plot is about 3 brothers, played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Scwartzman, who try to bond together on a spiritual journey across India. Throughout their visit in India, they travel on a train called The Darjeeling Limited, hence its name. This train is like no train you have ever been on; it is full of colourful characters, some who we saw in primarily The Life Aquatic. Besides getting in touch with each other's spirits, the brothers' main goal is to see their mama, played by Anjelica Houston.

What is innovative and new to Darjeeling is Anderson's ability to incorporate very clever symbols that don't result in a, "Puh, spare me!" statement. Admittedly, though Life Aquatic was enjoyable, its ending had a strong melodramatic feeling that made you puke up some salt water. Here, the metaphors and symbols are effective and most importantly, work. Also, the soundtrack is superb at worst, with fantastic tunes from The Kinks that match perfectly with his slow-motion shots that still somehow remains powerful. Owen Wilson gives one of his better performances as the enthusiastic and over-prepared brother who works desperately hard to achieve a peace with his brothers.

However, Darjeeling still fails or in a more generous way falls short in a few departments where his film succeeded. Firstly, though the brother's have excellent chemistry, Adrien Brody, though an Oscar Winner, acts a bit over-the-top and has a slightly more tacky approach as one of the brothers. Also, despite Darjeeling's moments of hilariousness, the humour is dispersed and less obvious, which results in only sections of the audience laughing, instead of the whole. In other words, Anderson seems to repeat a lot of what he has done before even if it pays off this time around.

Therefore, despite these minor issues, Darjeeling still is a great film. It's well directed, Anderson sets up very good shots that capture the aura of India. In addition, he includes, throughout this plot, many harrowing, but also, many hilarious events that'll hit you right there. However, the biggest issue that leaves a tear in my eye is the fact that the ten minute prologue from iTunes that explains primarily the end of Darjeeling, is only available in the USA. Rats!