Director Wes Anderson ("The Royal Tenenbaums," "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou") has a truly outstanding visual style, but his offbeat humor isn't for everybody.
If you aren't familiar with Anderson, do yourself a favor and watch the short film "Hotel Chevalier" before reading this review. It's available for free download on iTunes.
"Hotel Chevalier" is the prologue to "The Darjeeling Limited" and offers a great taste of what a full Wes Anderson film is like. If you like what you see, then you'll love "Darjeeling Limited." If not, odds are today's Police Beat is pretty funny (see page 2).
The film follows three brothers as they reconnect while on a spiritual trip through India.
After not speaking for a year, the brothers have lots of catching up to do amid the beautiful landscapes of India.
The trip does not happen exactly according to plan, and the brothers end up learning more about India and themselves than they were planning on.
While certainly not stretching himself as an actor, Owen Wilson ("Wedding Crashers") plays the same character he plays in practically every movie, but he does it well. The character of Francis fits him so well that it might as well have been written for him, because it most likely was.
Adrien Brody ("Hollywoodland," "King Kong") plays Peter. Brody manages to stay detached while still saying more with a subtle gesture than many actors can say with a monologue.
As Jack, Jason Schwartzman ("Shop Girl," "I Heart Huckabees") plays the relatable, shy, awkward underdog that he's known for. Nevertheless, he delivers his most heartfelt performance ever, and the subplot between his character and Rita (Amara Karan) gives the film a much-needed jolt of realism. This realism in turn makes the disparities between the real world and that of the film world more apparent and interesting.
Unlike previous Anderson films, "The Darjeeling Limited" does not give up much information about its main characters or their personal histories.
Rather than hindering the film, this lack of information draws the audience members further into the story, because at the start of the film they know as much about the brothers as the brothers know about each other.
As the story progresses, the audience members are free to build their own assumptions about the characters based on their actions just like they would with anyone they meet on the street. This makes the characters both highly realistic and highly relatable so that by the end of the film the characters are practically family.
Anderson creates a meticulously detailed world so full of color that it practically screams.
The titular train that the brothers embark on is a character in its own right. Its narrow halls, cabins and even dining car are crowded and feel lived in.
They are the perfect environments for cinematographer Robert Yeoman ("The Squid and the Whale," "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou") to show off his considerable skill.
The film will undoubtedly seem familiar to fans of Anderson's previous work. As usual, his quirky world is populated by even quirkier characters who are portrayed mainly by alums of his previous films.
Rather than feel trite, however, "The Darjeeling Limited" is a clear example of Anderson playing to his strengths in such a way that it could easily be the his best film to date.
"The Darjeeling Limited" is currently playing at Harkins Camelview 5 in Scottsdale.
