Cast: Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzmann, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray

Director: Wes Anderson

Running-time: 1 hr 31 mins

Genre: Drama/Comedy


REVIEW:

Wes Anderson’s films were as commonly weird as mustard on cake. Take that from the critics, as I’ve never seen his films before, namely THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, RUSHMORE and THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU, and in his latest input to cinema is a tale of three dysfunctional brothers, THE DARJEELING LIMITED, aboard a journey towards self-discovery. And like mustard on cake, its taste might appeal awkward and odd to other people, but it’s the whimsical imprint that Anderson had put his finger upon this craft – it’s funny, silly, slightly pessimistic, but entirely not a waste for it’s also heartwarming and could tug some strings. Probably this is could be the most Wes Anderson film only Anderson could make.

It is a sad story viewed in a peculiar, funny manner. Three brothers convened together years after without communication, spearheaded by self-appointed patriarch Francis (Owen Wilson), whose entire screentime is covered up with bandages around his face and sporting a broken nose after a near-to-death car crash experience. He organised a trip aboard the train The Darjeeling Limited across India for a so-called “spiritual journey”. He is joined by Peter (Adrien Brody), the middle son, whose claim that as the father’s favourite child cannot cope with the fact that he’s becoming a father himself with his wife that he doesn’t love and had planned a divorce with, and the youngest brother Jack (Jason Schwartzmann), a writer who had just been out of a relationship and in constant denial that his novels are based on his life. Together they set in a strange journey filled with misadventures where almost everything goes almost awry, with their train losing on track. This was where one of the film’s finest one-liner was delivered, credit to Schwartzmann’s i-don’t-care-what-happens persona, “How can a train be lost when it’s on rails?” It’s just plain classic.

Each of the brothers has their own story to tell: Francis, an order obsessive-compulsive maniac who wants to impose change around him but cannot change his own curbs; Peter, a man wanting to end a stage of life with his wife yet suddenly faced with a responsibility with a soon-to-be-born child; and Jack, a contrite writer who actually grieves for the loss of his girlfriend but still wanting to feel alright with the world. The performance of this triptych is a combination of amiable deliveries from Wilson, Brody and Schwartzmann that works perfectly well alongside each other. The tale is told in a colourful, deliberate filmmaking (as though the cinematographer forgot that we’re already living in the digital world) amid the backdrop of the striking landscapes of India, and it works. Cue those shaky shots of the train interiors, as you’re watching it you can actually feel as though you’re in the train and the camera’s rattling along in it.

While of course it is a flawed film, with Anderson being a bit more self-indulgent in his telling of story. Sometimes it hurtles here and there, and the journey seems to emit some unexpected smokes. It can be qualified for a Director’s Cut, as some scenes feel a bit long and unnecessary. But as an entire, after all, this is Anderson in his most personal, light-hearted directorial effort, making you feel he doesn’t give a flying fuss to anyone who thinks this film is rubbish. See the short film HOTEL CHEVALIER, with Natalie Portman in it, before the whole film starts, it will complete the Anderson package-extravaganza.

VERDICT:

Crafting something seriously-sad-themed tale into something with light-hearted humour is a skill Anderson could smile of. His THE DARJEELING LIMITED traverses a track rarely travelled by many, a focus on these three damaged lives in a journey really about emotional baggage. Self-indulgent, but warm enough to please many. The bittersweet slow-motion catch-the-train scene at the end is just a testament of subtle cinema.


RATING: B+