The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers (WGA):

Wes Anderson (written by) &
Roman Coppola (written by) ...

Release Date:

26 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Three American brothers who have not spoken to each other in a year set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other -- to become brothers again like they used to be. Their "spiritual quest", however, veers rapidly off-course (due to events involving over-the-counter pain killers, Indian cough syrup, and pepper spray), and they eventually find themselves stranded alone in the middle of the desert with eleven suitcases, a printer, and a laminating machine. At this moment, a new, unplanned journey suddenly begins.

Plot Keywords:

Train | India | Journey | Funeral | Snake

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Owen Wilson	...	Francis
Adrien Brody	...	Peter
Jason Schwartzman	...	Jack
Amara Karan	...	Rita
Wallace Wolodarsky	...	Brendan (as Wally Wolodarsky)
Waris Ahluwalia	...	The Chief Steward
Irrfan Khan	...	The Father
Barbet Schroeder	...	The Mechanic
Camilla Rutherford	...	Alice
Bill Murray	...	The Businessman
Anjelica Huston	...	Patricia
A.P. Singh	...	Taxi Driver
Kumar Pallana	...	Old Man
Dalpat Singh	...	Waiter
Trudy Matthys	...	German Lady #1 (as Trudy Mathis)

Also Known As:

Viaje a Darjeeling (Argentina) (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
À bord du Darjeeling Limited (France) [fr]
Darjeeling Limited (Sweden) [sv]
Darjeeling Limited (Germany) [de]
Darjeeling s rucením obmedzeným (Slovakia) [sk]
Darjeeling s rucením omezeným (Czech Republic) [cs]
Il treno per il Darjeeling (Italy) [it]
Taxidi sto Darjeeling (Greece) [el]
Viagem a Darjeeling (Brazil) [pt]
Voz za Dardziling (Serbia) [sr]

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Hindi | Sanskrit

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Ireland:15A | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-11 | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | USA:R (certificate #43707) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Germany:6 | Sweden:11 | Hong Kong:IIB | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Argentina:13 | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | New Zealand:M | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

India

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

The film was mostly shot in the Rajasthani desert, in northwest India.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the dining car scene, Peter is reading Jack's short story, Luftwaffe Automotive. The story is written on stationary from the Hotel Chevalier, in Paris. The logo of the French flag on the stationary is incorrect; from right to left, the colors are red, white, and blue. The French flag is blue, white, and red.

Quotes:

[first lines]
The Businessman: That's my train.

Movie Connections:

References Bombay Talkie (1970)

Soundtrack:

Music

Anderson hits it big with offbeat, quietly affecting effort

Given the trademark quirkiness yet insight into many profound truths of human behaviour one would expect from director Wes Anderson, it should come as no surprise that his latest film, The Darjeeling Limited, demonstrates the majority of these traits with particular flair and distinction, arguably Anderson's strongest work to date.

The typically disjointed plot details three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman) who, in an attempt to bridge the gap between them, embark on a "spiritual journey" across India by train. Of course, considering Anderson's tendency towards offbeat comedic situations, and a series of problems involving Indian cough syrup, a poisonous cobra and pepper spray, the journey does not, of course, go as planned, and the brothers are forced to cope with their increasingly difficult situation and each other in turn.

Do not mistake the film for the conventional road trip buddy comedy it may appear to be - Anderson is far too eclectic and clever to subscribe to such traditional fare, and his film is instead a far more emotional effort. With a particular knack for intricate character and storyline development, Anderson's script carefully doles out tidbits of character history throughout, painting a gradual and remarkably detailed portrait of the central characters as the film progresses. Though the film may drag or feel as if it falls slightly short of its true potential at times, on the whole it is far to easy to be swept up by the film to dwell on such minor concerns.

The gorgeous Indian scenery is captured with particular affection by Anderson's jarring cinematography and sharp eye for intriguing colour schemes. The film's wonderfully fitting soundtrack perfectly compliments the sublime visuals, making for one of the most aesthetically pleasing films in recent memory.

The central three actors are the real draw of the film, and all three boast excellent chemistry throughout. Owen Wilson, as usual, is effortlessly funny as spiritually obsessive control freak Francis, but also brings a tragic undercurrent to his character, made more poignant due to recent real life events out of character. A superb Adrien Brody steals the show as the emotionally unstable soon to be father Pete, demonstrating both previously unseen comedic abilities, and genuinely affecting emotional clout. As bitter writer Jack, Jason Schwartzman proves proficient at raising many a laugh, but despite his strong performance is easily overshone by his two co-stars during the film's dramatic moments. Watch also for amusing cameos from Bill Murray and Natalie Portman (featured more significantly in the film's 13 minute prequel found online at www.hotelchevalier.com), and a somewhat forced supporting role from Angelica Huston near the end.

Like the rest of Anderson's other work, audiences will likely either love it or hate it. This is not a typical belly laugh evoking comedy à-la-Superbad - the humour present is more sly and chuckle worthy, and prides itself more on precisely crafted characters and situations than sight gags and one liners. Those willing to appreciate the film for what it is will enjoy an intelligent and touching spiritual meditation on family, and life in general. The joy is in the journey, and a journey as quirky and sentimental as this is one easily worth taking - for those willing to put forth the effort to overcome mainstream expectations, the film will not disappoint.

-8/10