Home > Movies > Movie Review > The Darjeeling Limited

The Darjeeling Limited

Limited is exactly what Wes Anderson proves himself to be

By Matt Pais

September 29, 2007

Critic's Rating:

• Email
• Print View
• Share
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Google
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
  • Mister Wong
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • Yahoo
• Add To Favorites
• Add to playlist

Three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, co-writer Jason Schwartzman) who haven't spoken in the year after their father's death converge on the Darjeeling Limited, a train passing through India. Together, they try to reconnect and prevent secrets about their personal dramas—including a serious auto accident, a child on the way and a painful breakup—from tearing them apart.

Big questions: Will director/co-writer Wes Anderson ("The Life Aquatic," "Rushmore") challenge himself to offer something new, or has he exhausted his own brand of quirky dramedy? And will the main focus of "Darjeeling" turn out to be Wilson's recent reported suicide attempt and the fact that his character, Francis, may have also tried to kill himself?

Skip it: Even as he travels the globe, Anderson's world remains the same. "Darjeeling" features the filmmaker's flimsiest characters in a story that struggles to move its way down the tracks. The brothers are so lazily created, in fact, that this family seems like distant relatives not of "The Royal Tenenbaums" but "The Three Stooges."

Catch it: If you want to defend your re-watching of Britney Spears' terrible VMA performance. At one point, Francis insists that he and his brothers can only succeed if they say yes to everything, "even if it's shocking and painful."

Bottom line: Laughs appear every once in awhile but mostly get sucked into a tone that stacks up levels of irony until everybody's winking at themselves winking at themselves. Consider Anderson's line between being a director with a unique style and just being a one-trick pony officially blurred.

Bonus: We're always happy to see innovative uses for everyday products: As an employee of the Darjeeling Limited demonstrates, spatulas are great for rounding up escaped snakes! Please wash thoroughly before flipping any pancakes.

You will be prompted to register or log in when posting.

Comment

Please note that by clicking on "Post Comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.