Screen Scene: “The Darjeeling Limited”
By Elizabeth Packer
Oct. 4, 2007 10:08 p.m.
India, land of tropical humidity, sari-clad women and religious pilgrims a-plenty, serves as director Wes Anderson’s inspiration in his latest film, “The Darjeeling Limited.” And while the setting is fresh, the plot is vintage Anderson.
Those familiar with his work will recognize aspects of “The Darjeeling Limited,” including estranged family members seeking to reconnect with one another and romantic relationships with maids (see Anderson’s first film, “Bottle Rocket”).
But despite elements of a recycled plot, “The Darjeeling Limited” escapes tedium thanks to a cast of characters as colorful as the stunning Indian vistas where the action takes place.
Stocked with Anderson regulars””mdash;Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Anjelica Huston all make appearances ““ “The Darjeeling Limited” follows the three Whitman brothers (Wilson, Schwartzman and Adrian Brody) as they set out on a spiritual quest across India, hoping to rekindle their relationship and find themselves. But being confined to a small sleeper car aboard the Darjeeling Limited train is not so conducive to reconciliation, and the planned journey is quickly derailed. The trio soon finds themselves stranded in the desert, with nothing but each other and a mountain of matching, monogrammed luggage.
While all three brothers are interesting characters, Schwartzman, who also co-wrote the script, excels as Jack, a brooding romantic who writes stories pulled directly from his experiences. His forlorn eyes and permanent pout convincingly convey a range of emotion as he learns to trust his brothers. His character is also the most developed ““ Anderson produced “Hotel Chevalier,” a short that features Jack (and a nude Natalie Portman) before the train voyage with his brothers. While “Hotel Chevalier” will not be shown in theaters, audiences are encouraged to view it online on iTunes before seeing the feature film.
In classic Anderson style, scenes are light on dialogue and accompanied by carefully selected songs, so when the three Whitman boys fight, insults take the form of witty, and often humorous, one-liners and arguments are done with meaningful looks and the occasional physical tussle.
And one of the film’s most powerful moments comes in a slow panning sequence, another tried-and-true Anderson technique. The scene plays on the movie’s train motif ““ each character is shown in his element, silently revealing certain truths as the camera chugs along and the Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire” narrates.
Ultimately, “The Darjeeling Limited,” though not groundbreaking, is entertaining, as Anderson’s signature whimsy only improves when taken across the globe and coated in India’s spicy, seductive heat.
-Elizabeth Packer
E-mail Packer at [email protected].
