The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Wes Anderson is a new kind of director. As this is the age of the geek, he is well respected as one of the great representatives of that culture. His career-defining film ‘Rushmore’ (1998) ushered in a new kind of protagonist in the over-confident, over-intelligent and ambitious Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) talked his way through life and the various clubs he chaired and belonged to. With his ambitious third film ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ (2001), Anderson tackled the families of the bizarre upper classes with exceptional style and became the king of the collage-inspired aesthic. Now, with ‘The Darjeeling Limited’, he moves from the inidividual male through the entire family to the relationships between brothers.
The story follows three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman) as they embark on a trip through India to ‘find’ themselves and eventually (SPOILER ALERT) their mother (Angelica Huston). Along the way the brothers don’t so much change as open up. Their evolution is one of communication and acceptance rather than alteration.
Following his last film ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’ (2004), Anderson seems to be slowing down and allowing his films to breathe more than the chaos of ‘Rushmore’, ’Tenenbaums’ or his first film ‘Bottle Rocket’ (1996). We still have scenes of exquisitly chosen indie rock to puncuate the drama, but we also have many more scenes of the longing and pontification. Thus, those people who love ‘Aquatic’ will also love ‘Darjeeling’, but those who long for the days of chaos may be left wanting more.
The performances are expertly Anderson-esque (Brody is a perfect fit for the style), however I longed for some more interesting female characters. In the short film ‘Hotel Chevalier’ that plays before the feature, Natalie Portman is featured as a kind of piece of art rather than an actual character, and Huston’s character is used to explain the problems of the men around her rather than having her own motivations.
All in all, this is a love letter to brotherhood. The love between brothers, the longing for lost fathers and sons, and the fear of a future relationship with the next generation of men. This film speaks to the new kind of man, one who abuses substances without remorse and is incapable of being a typical hero. I only hope that perhaps Sofia Coppola or a female director of a similar aesthic will be able to do the same for women.
A charming and colorful step forward for Anderson.
Grade: A-
