RojoThe Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson does good work, but I can understand if you don’t like his films.. Wes Anderson is a good director, he is a good writer, but his subject matter and his style could be dis-pleasing to some. I can empathise if his characters seem annoying, or unreachable, too wrapped up in themselves but to me this is the great charm about Anderson’s films.
I must confess I had no idea of The Darjeeling Limited as in I didn’t know the film existed. Yes you may boo and hiss me, I deserve it. But I honestly knew nothing about this film this morning so I decided not to find out anything more. All I went in with was parts of the cast and the Director, I knew nothing of the plot whatsoever. I’m not to sure whether this was a good or bad thing, we’ll just call it a thing.
Now as I have said I can understand if people don’t like Anderson’s movies (though Rushmore to me remains his best and if you don’t like that I would be asking questions of yourself) and Darjeeling is a prime example of this. Jason Schwartzman is indicative of Anderson films in that you either going to like him or hate him, there’s not much middle ground with him. I have also mused the he lacks range which again you could charge Anderson with in his film making. Anderson sticks to the same genre and to me the great directors will flirt with different ones though they will always have their feel and their person affectation on films the choose to make or write and make.
Schwartzman, to me is the nerd that cooled himself up. That guy at school who was teased intermittently, holding the mantra “I’ll show them” and he has, but he’s still a geek, a hairy geek that is type cast but he’s ok I mean I got no beef with him, I just don’t think incredibly highly of him. I do however think a great deal of Brody.
(Voluminous Proboscis Homo sapiens) This is the scientific term for Adrian Brody who oozes talent but is still to rekindle the type of performance as he delivered in The Pianist. In this film being part of a small ensemble cast he does not get that chance but he plays his character well, damaged middle brother (I’m guessing he was the middle brother as it is only clear that Wilson is the older brother). But then the three brothers are all damaged in there own way which is the same reason, their father, yes always with the father.
Brody is introduced beautifully with a long standing trait of Anderson the old slow motion to music. As he glides past Bill Murray who despite being in the film for the entire time of not much and says very, very little is incredibly funny as a businessman in the midst of a ride from hell through busy Indian road driven by a manic in an effort to catch his train. Brody is made to look smooth, suave, and un-Schwartzman like, when he is actually not. In fact none of the characters are cool, and this is what makes them cool. (we all need to take the time to appreciate paradoxes in life).
Anderson’s characters are riddled with idiosyncrasies that are purely outlandish yet still aren’t. Owen Wilson (Francis Whitman) planning of every minute of the day in his ‘itinerary‘. Schwartzman (Jack Whitman) need of love, his want for un-attachment to emotion. Brody (Peter Whitman) wanting escape and his fondness for his fathers objects, and all three brothers need to get loaded. I do love characters who have a penchant for drugs and alcohol, I would love to have an eye dropper full of opium. I would love to live in a hotel, catch a train through India never having to worry about money, have sex with sexy stewardess’s.
The thing that makes this movie stand out apart from Anderson’s touch, by that I mean I think he will always make a good movies but he will rarely make a great one and I don’t think he will make a bad one. With Darjeeling there are these beautiful moments. Moments that set it above another quirky film with unreal characters. There were parts in the film I felt like crying (the Indian boys), parts where I was doubled over with laughter (Bill Murray has a way about him that is amazing) and yes I must be honest parts where I yawned. I was engaged throughout though I debate the parts, the start and the use of the flash back.
So do I recommend this film. Yes. If you don’t like Anderson then no. There are as I have said some beautiful moments and these moments make this film for me. The performances are brilliant inspiring even though Wilson and Schwartzman are playing the same characters as usual, Wilson in playing his same character excellently. Anderson is beginning to remind me of Woody Allen. The use of the same troop, the fact that you love him or you hate him. His style, his writing, his subject matter. I am a fan
8/10
Film & TV on DVD
I am a big Anderson fan but still haven't seen this yet, all signs point to an enjoyable experience. I dig on the quirk factor if it serves a purpose, which in Wes' world it always does.
i thought The Royal Tenenbaums was fantastic. it on my all time top five!!
yet to catch this one though
" Moments that set it above another quirky film with unreal characters."
While his charactors are barely believable in themselves and the stories terribly outlandish he uses them as a platform to relate wonderfully real situations and emotions. I am not looking for realism in my narratives, Wes Anderson expresses a wonderful sense of unity though displacement and alienation.