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The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Time Out rating

Average user rating

19 reviews

Synopsis

Father-related family trauma spiced with fraternal rivalry? Animal-themed whimsy? Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman? Yes, it’s the latest from Wes Anderson, about three brothers on a journey through India with a hunch their late dad has been reincarnated as an albino leopard. Expect plaintive guitar rock and sad-eyed absurdity aplenty.

Movie review

From Time Out London

Texan dilettante, latter-day New Yorker and committed Euro-cinephile, Wes Anderson has packed his bags for India for his latest, with the work of Renoir, Ray and Merchant-Ivory preying on his mind. Our intrepid fablist lands in a hyper-colourful country that looks like a cleaned-up version of the sub-continent and the result hovers somewhere between the buzzy city-state of ‘Bottle Rocket’ and the over-fed principality of ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’.

Free of the slowly-creaking cogs of his last movie, ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ is more energetic; it’s a road-movie, set on a train, that’s conventional in its embrace of the journey as a path to healing. Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman are brothers cajoled by their domineering older sibling (Owen Wilson ) – an unhappy businessman with a mysterious bandage around his head – to take a trip to India a year after their father’s death. It’s time for some serious bonding, escapades with snakes, a little romance and a dose of straight-faced tragedy.

It doesn’t matter where Anderson travels, he always brings Americans with him for company. And often the same Americans, mostly men, usually Bill Murray, sometimes Schwartzman, always Wilson. At least one of those fellow travellers will have a poor relationship with his father, the humour will be dry, unusual, maybe frustrating, and the in-flight entertainment will offer a liberal load of the Rolling Stones and The Kinks, and in this case some local music, too. In other words, it doesn’t matter where Anderson goes: his films belong distinctively to him and his troupe of tragi-comic players will be present and correct (Anjelica Huston’s here, too). Yet for all Anderson’s pleasing, refreshing auteur tendencies, the overwhelming feeling delivered by ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ is of frustration, déjà vu and little progression. Put simply, the comedy isn’t funny enough and the emotions not deep enough. Is that the sound of water being ever so gently trod, Mr Anderson? Bring on ‘The Fantastic Mr Fox’.

Author: Dave Calhoun

Time Out London Issue 1944: November 20-26 2007

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User reviews of this film

jennie said...

Posted on Jun 14 2008 22:09 arful, boring film, was relly disapointed with it, lasted 5 minutes then fell asleep, dont waste your money

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James said...

Posted on May 20 2008 18:45 Not a good movie. Just plain and simple not a good movie - disjointed - not very funny - just not convincing on any level it tried to be on. Avoid.

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Nelly said...

Posted on May 15 2008 10:58 I watched this film last night, hahahah it reminded me of my family, the odd little quirks they had, and how they affected each other. It's well worth watching !!!!

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Dave said...

Posted on May 14 2008 19:56 I was hoping to see more of India in this movie, but the places are barely explored. They get out of the train, try to have a spiritual experience, and get back in. The flim never corrects their clueless assumption that all you have to do is go to the right place, and use the right feather, and your life will be fixed. The only Indian that has more than one line is, of course, a pretty lady who serves as the token romance part. That India is merely a backdrop to the interaction between the brothers might be acceptable if I cared at all about their story or if any of it was funny.

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David said...

Posted on Dec 27 2007 13:51 Best movie I saw this year. Why can't all movies be like this one. I might actually go more often. Most people won't get it though. Wonderfully simple.

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Tanheb said...

Posted on Dec 19 2007 00:53 this film was pathetically boring and ridiculous.. there was no storyline and point to any scene. the beginning was slightly interesting, but to find out later that it was also useless to the storyline. This film should not have reached cinemas, personally I feel this is betrayal to those who paid to watch it!

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Larissa said...

Posted on Dec 09 2007 23:10 Visually adept. Occasionally charming but otherwise uneven. Overall a typical Wes Anderson movie only one that devotees would enjoy.

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Chris said...

Posted on Dec 07 2007 12:07 Terrible.

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Wendy said...

Posted on Dec 06 2007 09:47 Brilliant - fvery unny, visually wonderful and emotional too. Favourite film of the year so far - and I plan to go and see it again!

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boundsy said...

Posted on Dec 05 2007 20:39 visually very good, but cinematography doesnt make a good film on its own, mildly amusing in places but very little story, plot lines that led nowhere, very pretentious

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max said...

Posted on Dec 03 2007 23:16 An embarrassment. Boring, unfunny, and hopelessly dated. This film is crass, patronising and at times bordering on racist. Avoid.

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Gary said...

Posted on Nov 29 2007 11:23 “The Darjeeling Ltd” gives the impression that Anderson’s film crew and actors plonked themselves down in Rajasthan for a couple of months, without any apparent plot or cohesive dialogue, filmed the resulting wacky shenanigans then crossed their fingers and hoped that a meaningful film would result.
As an admirer of Anderson's previous efforts (as well as being an old India hand) I was really looking forward to this. However, I found it a crushing disappointment and he has some real work to do on his next outing if his reputation is to be restored.
What astonishes me are the kind reviews it seems to be getting from some quarters. Does the sometimes spectacular Indian setting con some viewers into believing that they’re watching something moving and profound (much like Andes-set “Motorcycle Diaries”did to some)?
Anderson’s “disturbed, quirky family” premise has well and truly run it’s course with this effort and it’s high time for him to move on. I rate this just below “You, Me and Dupree” as worst film of the year. Way to go Owen Wilson!

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horndawg said...

Posted on Nov 29 2007 00:25 very dissapointing, reckon i should have my money back, the film had no story line and seemed to have pointless scenes which lead to nothing.

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m said...

Posted on Nov 29 2007 00:18 this film is completely terrible. There was no plot, wasn't funny at all. Whoever wrote this lacks any writing talent and has no idea what makes a good fim. Overall a shocking and poor effort and would recommend doing anything else. A complete waste of time.

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jack said...

Posted on Nov 28 2007 15:01 its wes anderson and the critics are split? surprise surprise..i personally think this is a totally amazing film - definitely a marked progression from 'life aquatic' in terms of the jokes and the chemistry (i found the cate blanchett / owen wilson thing a little awkward although intriguing to watch). This returns to the greatness of the 'tenebaums' in that its a great fable on the family, and the relationships are, umm, emotive, for want of a better word.. In terms of style, this is faultless, and i do agree with the guy just above that it is that style and detail that creates the Wes Anderson world: kinks playing over a traditional funeral shot in slow motion? what the fuck?
all in all this is an incredible picture, but it is definitely not for everyone - as always with anderson some love it some hate it. my only criticisms are, yeah, india presented under a clearly western gaze, and anderson's clear obsession with luxury: i can't personally tell if he's a massive rich kid or just emulative, like he desperately wanted to be nobility, but european (old) nobility of course. whatever, i'm off to see it again while its still in the big screens.

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