Film Review--Darjeeling Limited

Wes Anderson’s films are all essentially the same. I have no problem with this, but there has been a fair amount of criticism laid on him for that fact; they say that he has no range. Darjeeling Limited will change nobody’s minds about Anderson but, for the kind of film he makes, this new offering is as pretty and as pleasant as any. This story of sibling bonding begins with eldest brother Francis Whitman (Owen Wilson) who, after nearly dying in an accident, brings his two brothers Peter and Jack (Adrian Brody and Jason Schwartzman, who also co-wrote with Anderson) to India to reconnect with each other and their individual spirituality. Each brother has his quirks and each has something to hide from the others, including the real nature of the trip, regardless of the close quarters of the Darjeeling Limited, the cross-India railway that begins their adventure.

The plot meanders from here and it becomes a road movie, like most, more concerned with the reactions and growth of the characters than the actual places they visit. As this in itself, Darjeeling Limited is fantastic. Wilson, Brody and Schwartzman are very convincing, each at once loving his siblings but unspeakably frustrated by them. They are all good actors, with Brody doing an especially good job as the middle brother, both in age and in confidence. I hadn’t seen him in a comedy and, as I generally am with his performances, I was very impressed. Wilson and Schwartzman are veterans of working with Anderson and they keep the tone consistent with his other work. Angelica Houston has a brief role as the trio’s mother and is as ineffectual and effective in the role as she was in The Royal Tenenbaums. As one of only two female roles in the film, though, the addition feels a little bit token, though not so much as Amara Karan, who plays Rita, a pretty train stewardess who Schwartzman screws in the bathroom, which is about as far as her character goes. As token as the character may seem, though, she is central to the movement of the story but has no relevance to it once that part is done. It’s too bad; she’s a charming actress who does very well with what she is given. It is just her first film, though, so she may get more meaty roles in the future.

The overall tone of the film from a certain perspective, unfortunately in addition to the above issue, comes off like some kind of Paul Bowles style colonialism. Three rich white guys travel to poor brown India to reclaim some false sense of spirituality that they wish actually existed, when they actually just exploit the locals. That it was filmed on location adds an air of realism to both the exploitation and the film itself. However, much like a lot of Bowles stories for me, the beauty of the craft outweighs what I find to be a reprehensible philosophy. It’s put together with meticulous care; from the drapery and wallpaper to the clothing and luggage everything is placed for a particular purpose. The music is presented the same way. Electing, as always, to work with a pop music compilation soundtrack rather than a composed score, Anderson is able to control the emotion using tricks that viewers, and especially his hipster fans, can associate with through they music they listen to. Personally, I’m not a big fan of the style of song that he uses, but it’s an effective method that works well in the films. While all this control can make his films seem sometimes overbearing and heavy-handed, it also puts a stamp on them that makes the films easily recognizable as Wes Anderson’s alone and this, in our brand conscious world, is extremely important in setting him apart from the pack. Like him or not, he makes what he wants and what he makes is completely unique. It’s hard not to respect a filmmaker for this.