Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Darjeeling Limited

Now and then, I watch movies that a handful of people think aren't so great. But most of the time, I have to disagree with them.

Estranged brothers Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman), who haven't seen each other since their father's funeral, reunite for a spiritual journey through India.

A number of Anderson's fans think The Darjeeling Limited is the black sheep of his work. I fail to see why. It has themes and actors normally found in a Wes Anderson movie. Unlike some, I liked The Darjeeling Limited. Beautifully shot, laughs throughout and well-acted, The Darjeeling Limited is an enjoyable gem from Anderson.

My Rating: ****

7 comments:

  1. I loved that the short film at the beginning was incorporated into the film. Good job taking a stab at some Wes Anderson fans while reviewing a Wes Anderson film.

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  2. I agree with Snobbyfilmguy, I liked the short that was in it too. I think this is one of his best films.

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  3. I really liked it. I think most people like it just not as much as his other work. It does get a bad rap.

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  4. I think the reason this film gets snubbed is down to its place in the timeline of Anderson films. It comes after Tenenbaums and Life Aquatic and just felt like another Wes Anderson film because of it.

    On its own merits I really liked The Darjeeling Limited but the Anderson-isms (and Owen Wilson) start to get a little tiring by this third film.

    That's why I think it gets the shaft.

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  5. Well, I too disagree with those who feel this wasn't a good movie. Rather, I feel this was a very good film, to say the least. I absolutely loved the darkly comic humour, ironies and the underlying theme of humanism. And the superb acting by the brothers trio plus the freewheeling nature of the script made it eminently watchable. Another aspect that endeared the movie to me was that its soundtrack was littered with compositions that were made by Satyajit Ray (my favourite filmmaker) for his own films - yes, he composed music for most of his films (including his musicals), as well as a few that he composed for others' films.

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  6. I loved this movie. Visually it was one hell of a ride and once again Anderson chose beautiful music which fits perfectly with the movie. I also enjoyed the fact that the OST was less distracting than his other films... I remember discussing with a friend who thought Wes Anderson was nothing but a music video director!

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  7. I don't like it but then I am not a Wes Anderson fan either.

    I think its just a stylistic showcase without any substance (like most of his films) and I don't see the pros about doing a short film setting up a feature. It should be able to stand on its on 2 feet.

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