The Darjeeling Limited (2009)

Director: Wes Anderson

Story: Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola

Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody

Time: 91 minutes

Bottom-line: Showcases Anderson’s style, but a disappointing film 

Made as a tribute to Indian director Satyajit Ray, Wes Anderson’s India-based drama is the tale of three brothers on a train journey in the subcontinent. The film stars Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody as the brothers, with Amara Khan and Anjelica Huston in the supporting roles, and several others like Bill Murray and Irrfan Khan chipping in with cameos. 

A man, Peter Whitman (Brody) barely boards the train The Darjeeling Limited, where he reunites with his brothers: Jack and Francis (Schwarzman and Wilson), who have not met since their father’s funeral one year earlier. Francis is still recovering from a suicide attempt, Jack is desperate to get back with his ex-girlfriend, and Peter’s wife is nearly eight months pregnant, and he wonders what sort of a father he will be. Francis plans a strict itinerary for the trip, but secretly wants the brothers to meet their estranged mother in the Himalayas. In a journey filled with petty fights, spiritual realisations, and flashes from the past, the three brothers experience an unforgettable trip.

The storyline and acting aspects of the film turned out to be below expectations. While the first half of the film had a proper flow of events and structure, the latter half seemed to fall apart; the writers just put in whatever idea came to their heads without any idea how to end the film. The flashback sequence is unnecessary, several cameos served no purpose, and the climax, was too sudden; there was nothing leading up to it. The basic theme of the film is to tell us the value of family – similar to The Royal Tenenbaums – but with an Indian backdrop. As the story progresses, the Indian elements become dominant, and the story gets distorted.

 

(From left) Schwartzman as Jack, Wilson as Francis
and Brody as Peter 

Anderson’s style of cinematography – he includes several long takes in this film – use of colour – even more vibrant in the subcontinental settings – and nature of characters are evident once again. For the first – and so far, only – time, he does not employ an original background score; the songs and score are adapted from several sources, including Satyajit Ray’s films. The absurdist sense of comedy is also well written into the script, mixing both slapstick and subtle humour, but in the first third of the film alone.

The acting showcases nothing special from any actor, which is sad, considering that every other film had at least one standout performance. Brody, Schwartzman and Wilson (whose face is covered throughout the film by bandages) all put on a sullen look throughout the film. I expected to see the charisma of Schwartzman that he displayed in Rushmore and Wilson’s comic nature, but neither of them brought out their best talents.

So, while the cinematography, colourful visual appeal and portrayal of the Indian subcontinent are the aspects I liked, the acting, storyline and the lack of humour made the film fall below the mark set by other Anderson films. As a Wes Anderson fan, you might still end up liking the film for his style, but overall, this is my least favourite of his directorial features.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 69%