 "Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures")
For someone unfamiliar with Wes Anderson's previous works, the plot of,"The Darjeeling Limited"s could be as difficult to decipher as how to actually pronounce "Darjeeling." Conversely, for Wes Anderson followers this film contains off beat nuances and humor so dry that it leaves the audience laughing and coughing simultaneously.
"The Darjeeling Limited" follows three brothers in their quest to be spiritually revived, while reestablishing "being brothers again," a component of their relationship that had become estranged since the death of their father. What is meant to be a very structured trip through India, complete with a vigorous itinerary and a personal secretary, is quickly debunked as the characters struggle to cope with their own idiosyncrasies. The brothers seem internally bound only by their unhealthy attachment to the memory of their dead father (and his luggage), which plays a crucial role in the three's inability to reconnect. Their seemingly superficial physical interactions involving smoking, over-the-counter drugs, mutual distrust, and poor life choices are what make the characters enamoring and ludicrously funny. After a series of mishaps upon the Darjeeling Limited, (the name of the train they ride through India), the brothers are thrown from the train and experience what they had been looking for in some of India's most remote locations.
The search however is not linear, and the storyline does not placate the audience like they are children. A defining moment where everything begins to "click" does not exist. Instead Anderson, through a variety of cinematic techniques and cryptic yet witty banter, allows the viewer to come to his own conclusions. A hallmark of Anderson is his ability to shoot a movie with such methodically deliberate intent. Half sentences and obscure references only work when integrated with the ways in which he frames each scene. Vibrant colors and the gritty emotions that "Darjeeling Limited" unleashes on the screen through a barrage of stark images leave you wondering why this movie is marketed as a comedy in the first place.
The movie is a comedy, but not in the conventional sense. There are very few scenes, if any, where the audience or even a single member of the audience is left spasming in their seats. Anderson instead relies on minute and subtle dialogue that could easily pass without notice unless one is deeply engrossed (this is why his films have received lack luster reviews and have only gained popularity after DVD releases in the past). Bemused facial expressions and awkward interactions also assist in making the comedic portions accessible.
Comparatively, however, "The Darjeeling Limited" tends to be a darker film than Anderson's previous successes, which could once again hinder widespread popularity and box office numbers. Anderson's latest film lacks the subversive comedy of Max Fischer in "Rushmore," and does not hold off on bittersweet emotions until the film's climax like in, "The Life Aquatic." Rather the movie seems to take emotionally disabled people with real life problems and places them in such a bizarre context that it is hard not to laugh even if you do not know why.
Watching, "The Darjeeling Limited," there is no doubt that this is a Wes Anderson movie. Despite a more sobering view on reality and a sex scene between the India stewardess and Jack (the youngest brother) that seems out of place, the film does everything that would be expected, including providing a retro soundtrack that syncs perfectly with the visual and poignant contexts on screen. Dominating Anderson picks come from a few tracks by The Kinks and a number of tracks by Satyajit Ray.
The film's success comes not only from Wes Anderson, but from his ensemble as well. Anderson is notorious for reusing specific actors time and again. Owen Wilson, who plays the eldest brother and receives the lead billing, also played leading roles in Anderson's two previous successes,"The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Life Aquatic," in addition to co-writing three of five of Anderson's movies. Jason Schwartzman is also an Anderson favorite who's lovingly maniacal Max Fischer perversed the screen in "Rushmore." Adrien Brody, the newest of the Wes Anderson groupies, molds himself perfectly to the directing style. Bill Murray and Angelica Huston also make cameo appearances.
Wes Anderson's latest cinematic feat will be riveting to some and baffling to others. The fifth full-length Anderson piece "The Darjeeling Limited," is now playing on early release at Charles Theatre.
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