The Darjeeling Ltd.
by John J. Madonna
About three minutes into The Darjeeling Limited, we watch a close up of a businessman running to the titular train pulling out of the station. All of a sudden, Adrien Brody’s character pops into frame and overtakes the man to the crunching opening chords of The Kinks’ “This Time Tomorrow,” and is able to throw himself aboard while the businessman falls into the distance, all in slow motion no less, and I knew I was going to love this movie already.
No one makes a film quite like Wes Anderson does. Bottle Rocket showed promise, Rushmore fulfilled said promise, and his unique filmmaking style culminated in The Royal Tenenbaums. And even though I actually liked The Life Aquatic (so much so that its cool reception actually surprised me,) I will admit it didn’t offer anything particularly new, and when a director releases a movie only every three years or so, especially a director so unconventional, one so-so movie will raise the questions, “Does he still have it in him, or is he just rehashing a formula?” making this next movie much more important.
The main thrust of the film isn’t anything too novel. Three brothers set out on a meticulously planned spiritual journey, it doesn’t pan out, they inadvertently find themselves on a new journey, which ends up providing the spiritual exploration that they had given up on. Granted people not as enamored with the director as I apparently am probably won’t fancy this movie nearly as much, but movie definitely shows Wes Anderson continuing to carve his niche in the world with distinct (almost anachronistic) set design, overhead shots aplenty, offbeat humour, slow motion endings and beginnings, angsty characters, hints of tragedy, and Rolling Stones music. Honestly, The Darjeeling Limited has surpassed, in my mind, The Royal Tenenbaums as his best movie.
The DVD includes the short film "Hotel Chevalier" which if you eschew iTunes as I do or didn't see the original festival run, it's an interesting thirteen minutes that isn't necessary to understanding the rest of the film, though does make one part particularly more amusing.
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