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Darjeeling Limited, TheClaudia PuigA spiritual quest can take many forms. One could argue that all of director Wes Anderson's movies focus on a sense of personal melancholy and directionlessness that often fuels such an odyssey. And they do so with a dark and offbeat wit. But in The Darjeeling Limited, the journey toward enlightenment (or at least a degree or two of heightened self-knowledge) is the most overt of all his films. Though the main characters in the film don't exactly eat, pray and love (they're more likely to get high, contemplate and bicker), they willingly undertake a spirit-enhancing journey. The cinematography is stunning, the soundtrack is engaging and some moments are tenderly observed. Still, the story lacks some substance and character development. Three neurotic brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman) take a train bound for the Himalayas. The plan is to visit temples, pray and possibly attain wisdom, bliss or a reasonable facsimile. "I want us to say yes to everything, even if it's painful or frightening," says Wilson, who is the organizer of the journey. But peace of mind and self-knowledge are not usually found in the expected places. The brothers do discover a sense of spirituality, but it's among some local villagers, not out in the wilderness performing a sacred rite. The brothers had been estranged for a year since their father's death, which left them unmoored. They're further cut adrift by the retreat of their mother (Anjelica Huston) to a remote convent. Wilson, the oldest and bossiest, has orchestrated this soul-searching ramble through India. He hopes somehow to re-establish their youthful bond. There are some wacky moments while the three are traveling involving pepper spray, shoeshines and a snake. By the conclusion, the immature brothers shed their considerable baggage, symbolically and literally. Despite the humor, The Darjeeling Limited has an unexpected obstacle to face down as it rolls into theaters. The film's merits may be obscured by the focus on Wilson's real-life personal problems. In an eerie art-imitating-life moment, his banged-up character reveals "I almost died." But a running gag in the film also serves as a reminder for those looking to read too much into such comments. "The characters are all fictional," insists Schwartzmann's writer character and co-writer of the film in real life. Fans of The Royal Tenenbaums are bound to enjoy Darjeeling, which has a similar feel. It is superior to the flawed Life Aquatic, Anderson's last film. But in the director's canon, it doesn't have the touching sweetness of the superb Rushmore or the manic energy of Anderson's first feature, Bottle Rocket. It is a delight to look at, with its vibrant colors, iconic images and exotic setting, and the film has a meandering feel that captures the sense of trekking across India. One of the film's best assets is its lack of predictability and sense of caprice and possibility. Anderson's characters tend to be eccentrics or lost souls, or both. The trio in The Darjeeling Limited appears changed profoundly by their sojourn, though their realizations are rarely articulated. Much of their insights are found between the lines of the film's original dialogue. ?? Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. |
