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The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Time Out rating

Average user rating

22 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

bored said...

Posted on Mar 06 2010 07:44 The simplicity of my review matches the simplicity of the story line: crap.

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muffin said...

Posted on Sep 28 2008 21:30 With an open mind, this film is lifechanging. Open your eyes and see past the simplicity of the plot.

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crispychew said...

Posted on Aug 31 2008 03:36 Seems to be a love-it-or-hurl-abuse at it film. For Wes, the male character is not only an emotional retard, he's a more general retarded, without the nonce to work out that going to India doesn't guarantee a spiritual breakthrough. (That said, Hull guarantees to bury all chance of one, so the logic might hold in reverse for India). The stupidity of the characters is not explored, merely exploited for laughs, and despite the stated purpose of the journy, and the general conventions for road (or train) movies, there's no evidence that anyone learns a sodding thing about themselves or anything else. A truly pointless trip. But colourful, musically great (if you like the great music), and kinda sexy. Dunno. I loved it. Perhaps it depends who you watch with?

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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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