No one does dysfunctional families like director Wes Anderson and “The Darjeeling Limited” is one of his finest works.
Part one of the film is a short featuring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman called “Hotel Chevalier.”
Part two follows the Whitman brothers, played by Schwartzman, Adrian Brody and Owen Wilson on an emotional and spiritual journey through India, sort of.
The spiritual part is mostly a joke, that is until the brothers are forced to confront death.
The estranged brothers spend the majority of their time on a train, keeping secrets from one another and popping painkillers and tranquilizers like candy.
Each Whitman has his own quirks. Jack (Schwartzman) checks his ex-girlfriend’s voice messages and writes fictional short stories that are purely non-fiction.
Peter (Brody) wears his deceased father’s prescription sunglasses, much to the disdain of his older brother, and hides the fact that his wife is seven months pregnant.
Francis (Wilson), with his face in bandages, is obsessed with spiritual enlightenment and organization.
Francis also neglects to tell his younger brothers about the trip’s surprise destination.
India provides an exotic, alluring backdrop to Anderson’s signature filmmaking style.
The film is full of subtle humor, but some moments are not so subtle.
At one point, Francis and Peter are in fist to cuffs and Jack does the only thing he can: He maces them.
To lessen the blow, he says, “I love you too, but I’m going to mace you in the face.”
The Whitmans’ haul around their father’s memory along with his colorful old luggage.
The point where the film sheds its superficial demeanor is the same moment when the brothers finally shed their baggage.
There is a definite parallel between the brother’s train ride and Darjeeling’s slow-moving plot.
If you’re impatient, “The Darjeeling Limited” will be lost on you. If you let the film unravel on its own terms, you will find that it is a charming story, full of humor and pain.
“The Darjeeling Limited” will leave you with a half-smile, at least.
Anderson’s films always have a way of making you see the world in a slightly different way. So, when you walk out of the theater, the sun might seem warmer and the flowers outside might smell a little sweeter.
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