Review of The Darjeeling Limited (2007) by Graham B — 11 Jun 2010

Wes Anderson's films are always an off-beat delight (The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Fantastic Mr. Fox) and this is no exception, in fact it's his best yet.

Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody & Jason Schwartzmann play three brothers who reunite a year after their fathers death and go on a spiritual journey through India on the infamous train "The Darjeeling Limited".

The rivalry between the siblings is ever present and it also doesn't help that they are all reliant on prescription drugs, changing their intended spiritual journey to one of chaos and resentment. This is all done with great humour, as the trio find themselves facing life changing moments along their path and fulfilling their spiritual journey in unintentional ways.

On the surface, the brothers are very different characters but the subtlety of Anderson's writing and directing show them to be very similar in a lot of ways, as they begin to realise the strong bond between them.

The three leads are excellent and each play their roles perfectly, with welcome cameo appearances from Angelica Huston and Bill Murray. The cinematography is wonderful, as is Anderson's great use, yet again, of classic 60's/70's songs throughout the film.

Admittedly Wes Anderson may not be to everyones tastes but I find his films an absolute joy and always wonderfully well written and directed and none more so than this beautifully rich treat.