Cinema

New Film: The Darjeeling Limited

Posted by: detourmag on October 12, 2007 at 9:00 am

darjeeling.jpg
THE DARJEELING LIMITED (2007)
Wes Anderson is in familiar territory with The Darjeeling Limited, even if the terrain is different from his previous films. Whatever the hype surrounding them — the music, the actors, the quirks; Mr. LittleJeans — he’s established his mastery of depicting faulty human relationships, and on this trip he tosses three brothers into the royal blue sleeper car of a train that’s bustling its way through India. “We were on a spiritual journey,” Owen Wilson’s Francis tells a fellow passenger. “But that didn’t quite pan out.”

Soaked in Indian sedatives and painkillers, the trio searches for a way to reconnect, and out come the classic sibling quirks. Reminiscent of A Hard Day’s Night or any episode of “The Monkees,” the Whitman brothers — Francis, Peter, and Jack Whitman (played by Wilson, Adrien Brody and co-writer Jason Schwartzman) chase after moving trains, pretty girls, their own mother, and their collective past. And yes, they’re often wearing pajamas.

They also cover the miles with loads of vintage orange suitcases strapped to their backs — it’s luggage that literally and figuratively belonged to their dead father. Get it? While the device is hammy, it works in Anderson’s hands, mostly because he made sure the luggage was emblazoned with elephants.

Anderson weaves a thoughtful tale with Darjeeling. He soaks the screen full of colorful images, oddball details (an Indian-made, industrial strength canister of pepper spray figures into the plot), and crafty camera work; his characters often lean into the frame for a smoke, or wander down the train corridor, unable to escape the camera’s roving eye. Scenes command attention and cues are given in code, particularly in aspiring writer Jack’s “fictional” short stories (does “Hotel Chevalier” sound familiar?), or in the way Peter hides behind his father’s prescription sunglasses. And all the while the soundtrack evokes a sunshiny mess of strumming guitars and telltale lyrics courtesy of The Kinks and The Rolling Stones. (Anderson also uses a wealth of traditional Indian music in the film.) Ambivalence, quirk, color, family, and resigned dysfunction — the latest glimpse into the director’s view of the family unit should make all of us feel better about our own. — Ava Dial

[tags]Darjeeling Limited, Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Mr. LittleJeans[/tags]

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