The Darjeeling Limited

Among those who care about such things, Wes Anderson is a polarizing filmmaker. Those in favor of the preeminent hipster auteur see him as a sumptuous visual stylist (both in his films and his wardrobe), whose pictures are non-threatening postmodern exercises in genre bending, biting, ever so gently and preciously, the absurdity of the American action picture, with a twist of irony and a sprinkling of creeping sentiment. The irony and the hope for spiritual release, or at least social reconciliation with others, often within troubled families of wealthy white over- or under-achievers, color these inventions of Anderson's. Often his films are described as quirky, offbeat, and whimsical, as well as overdesigned and racially insensitive.

Which leads us to The Darjeeling Limited, his latest picture, the opening-night film of the 45th New York Film Festival. starring those familiar to the Anderson oeuvre (Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Angelica Huston, and Bill Murray in a two-scene cameo) and those not (namely, Adrien Brody) in a road picture not far from the Bob Hope, Bing Crosby tradition. The Whitman brothers are on a journey of self-discovery in India, riding a train named The Darjeeling Limited through the countryside, finding adventures funny and tragic. The youngest, Jack (Schwartzman) is a successful writer who has recently broken up with his girlfriend, although they shared one last tryst in a French hotel room that is the subject of the feature’s companion short, Hotel Chevalier. He also refuses to wear shoes for some mysterious, spiritually tinged reason and has the hots for one of the train stewardesses (Amara Karan). The middle brother, Peter (Brody) has a wife with child--he’s not sure he wants to retain either. Oldest brother, Francis (Wilson), head wrapped in bandages, whose desire to bond with his wayward brothers is the impetus for the trip, manages to do little other than order his younger siblings around. The three share a generous load of Louis Vuitton baggage (designed by Marc Jacobs) that provides a none-too-subtle metaphor about what these characters need to shed in order to move on with their lives.

So does it work? For the most part, yes. I was unable to resist the temptations of Mr. Anderson and longtime DP Robert Yeoman's joie de vivre with camera, as well as the warmth, wit, and charm of the performers. Mr. Anderson once again tries to have his cake and eat it too, and I, for one, loved the frosting.

                                                       Brandon Harris