I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
Intricate with character & setting detail, hilarity, absurdity and melancholy, and presented with ambitious verve – this is unmistakably another Wes Anderson film, but his rawest and most sincere. It’s the shiznickle, basically. Merry Christmas, here's your gift.
FYI. In the interest of serving this magnificent and hugely rewarding film, without question my favourite of the year, if you’ve got an inkling to see it – do it without reading this. You’d be better to know less.
Three brothers meet up a year after last seeing each other, when they buried their father. Francis (Wilson) – wrapped in bandages – is a control freak and motorbike crash invalid, Jack (Schwartzman) is a short story writer and Peter (Brody) has run away from his pregnant wife. They embark on a trip across India on the Darjeeling Limited (a train), organised by Francis and complete with his daily laminated schedules. With trademark Wilson earnestness, Francis declares the trip a “spiritual” journey on which the brothers can reconnect. A heady concoction of resentment, abandonment, detachment, denial, spite, jealousy, personal grievances, physical ailments, prescription drugs, peacock feathers and rattle snakes ensure a bumpy ride.
Let me give it to you right now; the way I see it, Wes Anderson is like no other American director today. A visionary and a real auteur. He has panache. And that’s on top of creating strikingly human characters and being really funny. Get him up here. There is simply no other movie experience like sitting in a theatre watching an Anderson film. He creates a distinct tone, a character, a time, a place that I find - to be frank - irresistible.
Imagine rolling across a faded yellow Indian landscape in a blue train. Inside are cramped, intricately designed compartments – so dense with interest and colour you’ll never want to imagine an Indian train as anything different. Your head’s a bit soupy from a drug or two, you’re smoking cigarettes, you’ve got issues (e.g. not too sure what the point of life is), the landscape is moving past in slow motion while the Kinks’ ‘Sometime Tomorrow’ roars in your ear. It’s a cinematic treat.
One of Anderson’s great skills is an ability to create a world. All the bits and pieces – like the music (primarily from the Kinks’ Lola vs The Powerman and the Moneygoround album and the films of Satyajit Ray) and like the art direction – make for a very particular vision of India. Storybook-ish, whimsical and always gorgeous. In every detail Anderson’s touch is apparent. There’s a certain uniformity, and each element colludes to a greater whole – this is personal filmmaking.
But for all this, the film is unmistakably about the characters and their noble, however misguided, quest. The performances are pitch perfect. Wilson is at his best since his genius debut in Bottle Rocket. Schwartzman gives nothing away; as straight faced as Buster Keaton. And Brody is a bundle of awkwardness bouncing between the two.
The sum total of the film, like the peace of mind the Darjeeling characters are looking for, is both particular yet elusive. Against a backdrop of discontent and an impression of nihilism, a sense of yearning pervades the piece. It’s this sensibility – ultimately an overwhelmingly positive one – so boldly presented that makes Wes Anderson a rare director; one with something to say, and one very much of this generation.
By Paul Scantlebury, Flicks.co.nz
OMG this was good. Just what the doctor ordered. Probably one of the most poignant films out at the moment. To Brian, below, you were supposed to find whatever you wanted. Which means invest something in the film, and ye shall reap returns.
I saw this with my boyfriend. He has two brothers, so he could relate to it better than me. But I enjoyed it regardless. The soundtrack was great, and the design of the train (with all the bright colours) was really memorable. I'd recommend this.
it was strange and ridiculous nothing like the trailer says it is
Patterns. Resistance. Pain. Healing. Birth. Death. Journeys. Baggage. Crossings. Understandings. Letting go. Accepting. The meaning of life: it’s all here - transformed from thought into action images - without even having to delve beneath the surface. Anderson brings the universal tale alive. The Dargeeling Limited is a gently humorous movie about three brothers on a spiritual and physical journey through India. Don’t expect belly laughs but you will definitely chuckle and smile and generally feel quite good! And please don't miss the beginning; I thought I had sat down in the wrong theatre for the first ten minutes! It’s a movie of surprises, bursting at every turn with visual metaphors for its philosophical messages. And it all comes together perfectly - even if you’re not into this sort of stuff, you can’t help but enjoy the 'roundness' of the story and the technical excellence. This is a visually exciting film, full of rich contrasts. India literally vibrates with colour creating the perfect counter for the quiet, and often melancholy performances. I can't argue that it was not a bit slow going at times but I still really enjoyed it. Hubbie’s comment – “Yeh, it was ok but it was s-o-o slow – more YOUR kind of movie; and I’m never, ever going to go to India!”
The script, cowritten by Anderson, Schwartzman and Roman Coppola (who is Francis Ford Coppola's son and Schwartzman's cousin) can be a little pretentious at times, and it is a little too easy that the trio have no money issues whatsoever, but Anderson fans will love this addition to the quirky comedy canon...
As usual, the camera work is precise, the sets outrageous and the resolution inconclusive but warmly satisfying. If you were a fan of The Royal Tenenbaums, you'll love this. And if you're new to Wes Anderson, this rich and thoughtful film would make a fine place to start...
The Darjeeling Limited is less whimsical and absurd, and more realistic and emotional than previous Anderson works, but it isn't a great leap forward for the director either. The Darjeeling Limited lacks the energy of his earlier works, and while there are plenty of chuckles to be had and another fabulous retro rock soundtrack to lap up, it doesn't dispel that feeling you've seen many elements of this story before...
1/2 The dumb rap against the gifted Wes Anderson is that his comedies (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic) all hit on similar themes of broken dreams and shattered families. Damn him. And damn Hitchcock for his obsession with suspense. And what's with Scorsese and violence? My point is, an artist can spend a satisfying lifetime developing personal themes and deepening their resonance. Sure, they can trip up (see The Life Aquatic). But the Texas-born Anderson, 38, has managed to absorb a vast number of influences, from J.D. Salinger to Francois Truffaut, and forge a style all his own....
Bold, original and ambitious, this is personal filmmaking of a rare vintage. The Darjeeling Limited looks, sounds, feels like no other Hollywood film you’ll see this year. Equally, though, it’s Anderson’s most sincere and emotionally revealing work yet. There’s never been a better time to get on board with his unique brand of cinema...
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Wednesday, 26th Dec 2007.
Release date: December 26th 2007.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
