The Darjeeling Limited
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Here's Variety's take on the film
By ALISSA SIMON
A Fox Searchlight release (in the U.S.) of a Fox Searchlight Pictures, Collage presentation, of an American Empirical Picture production. (International sales: 20th Twentieth Century Fox Intl., Los Angeles.) Produced by Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Roman Coppola, Lydia Dean Pilcher. Executive producer, Steven Rales. Co-producers, Jeremy Dawson, Alice Bamford, Anadil Hossain. Directed by Wes Anderson. Screenplay, Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman.
Francis - Owen Wilson
Peter - Adrien Brody
Jack - Jason Schwartzman
Rita - Amara Karan
Brendan - Wally Wolodarsky
The Chief Steward - Waris Ahluwalia
The Father - Irfan Khan
The Mechanic - Barbet Schroeder
Alice - Camilla Rutherford
The Businessman - Bill Murray
Patricia - Anjelica Huston
Three estranged brothers bond and get rid of some literal and figurative baggage during a trip across India in Wes Anderson's colorful and kinetic seriocomedy "The Darjeeling Limited." Breaking no new ground thematically, pic comes closer to "The Royal Tenenbaums" than "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou," but without achieving the poignance of "Rushmore." Inventively staged pic should satisfy the upscale, youth and cult auds Anderson has developed, though it's unlikely to draw significantly better than his earlier work. Following its Venice and New York fest bows, Fox Searchlight item will go into limited U.S. release on Sept. 29.
India's vibrant landscapes and varied modes of travel, in particular the confined space of the locomotive, prove extremely congenial to Anderson's brand of visual humor and widescreen setups. Framing, choreography and physical comedy reference classic train flicks ranging from "Twentieth Century" and "A Night at the Opera" to "A Hard Day's Night."
After a short prologue that neatly epitomizes India's color and chaos -- and offers a cameo for Anderson regular Bill Murray -- pic settles into a first-class sleeping cabin aboard the Darjeeling Limited, where the Whitman brothers have gathered. Francis ( frequent Anderson collaborator Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (co-scripter Jason Schwartzman) haven't spoken since their father's funeral one year earlier.
Clearly, the siblings all have some healing to do. Francis, the eldest, is swathed in mummy-like bandages resulting from a motorcycle accident (an image that could have unintended resonance for auds who have followed Wilson's recent personal crises). Middle child Peter can't come to terms with his wife's pregnancy. And Jack, the youngest, is so obsessed with his ex-girlfriend he continually eavesdrops on her answering machine.
Armed with a supply of Indian pain relievers, the brothers play catch-up and fall into familiar family patterns. Francis tries to impose his itineraries and menu decisions, Peter flaunts their father's possessions and implies he was the favorite child, and Jack tries to avoid their quarreling through a whirlwind affair with comely train stewardess Rita (Amara Karan).
After they're ejected from the train for egregious rule-breaking, Francis reveals an ulterior motive behind the trip: He wants them to visit their mother (Anjelica Huston), who's now a nun in a Himalayan convent, but she seems less than keen to see them. The convent scenes humorously establish the source of Francis' most irritating mannerisms and pave the way for spiritual healing.
Here, as in his two prior outings, Anderson's arch, highly artificial style gets in the way of character and emotional development, rendering pic piquant rather than profound. Despite intense perfs by Wilson and Brody, Francis and Peter come off as not particularly nice. Schwartzman and Huston fare best at humanizing their characters, while newcomer Karan makes a strong impression as the sexy "sweet lime" girl.
Script gets sibling dynamics down pat, with oft-repeated lines accumulating meaning throughout pic.
Tech credits are top-notch, with particular kudos to Mark Friedberg's gorgeous, intricate production design and Robert Yeoman's nimble lensing. A specially designed, numbered luggage set from Louis Vuitton plays a significant role.
Music track effectively sets the mood with selections from Indian film scores alternating with choice rock tunes.
In Venice, pic screened with a nifty 13-minute short, "Hotel Chevalier," identified in the end credits as "Part 1 of 'The Darjeeling Limited.' " Completed in 2005, pic shows Jack and his ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman) in the titular Parisian hotel.
Short provides a potent prologue that further serves to make Jack the most sympathetic of the brothers and adds resonance to visual motifs that recur in the feature. Per Anderson, "Hotel Chevalier" will not be shown in theaters, but rather on the Internet, at festivals and on DVD.
Camera (Technicolor, Panavision widescreen), Robert Yeoman; editor, Andrew Weisblum; music supervisor, Randall Poster; production designer, Mark Friedberg; art director, Adam Stockhausen; graphic artist, Mark Pollard; costume designer, Milena Canonero; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS), Pawel Wdowczak; assistant director, Emilie Cherpitel. Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (competing), Sept. 2, 2007. (Also in New York Film Festival -- opener). Running time: 91 MIN.
By ALISSA SIMON
A Fox Searchlight release (in the U.S.) of a Fox Searchlight Pictures, Collage presentation, of an American Empirical Picture production. (International sales: 20th Twentieth Century Fox Intl., Los Angeles.) Produced by Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Roman Coppola, Lydia Dean Pilcher. Executive producer, Steven Rales. Co-producers, Jeremy Dawson, Alice Bamford, Anadil Hossain. Directed by Wes Anderson. Screenplay, Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman.
Francis - Owen Wilson
Peter - Adrien Brody
Jack - Jason Schwartzman
Rita - Amara Karan
Brendan - Wally Wolodarsky
The Chief Steward - Waris Ahluwalia
The Father - Irfan Khan
The Mechanic - Barbet Schroeder
Alice - Camilla Rutherford
The Businessman - Bill Murray
Patricia - Anjelica Huston
Three estranged brothers bond and get rid of some literal and figurative baggage during a trip across India in Wes Anderson's colorful and kinetic seriocomedy "The Darjeeling Limited." Breaking no new ground thematically, pic comes closer to "The Royal Tenenbaums" than "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou," but without achieving the poignance of "Rushmore." Inventively staged pic should satisfy the upscale, youth and cult auds Anderson has developed, though it's unlikely to draw significantly better than his earlier work. Following its Venice and New York fest bows, Fox Searchlight item will go into limited U.S. release on Sept. 29.
India's vibrant landscapes and varied modes of travel, in particular the confined space of the locomotive, prove extremely congenial to Anderson's brand of visual humor and widescreen setups. Framing, choreography and physical comedy reference classic train flicks ranging from "Twentieth Century" and "A Night at the Opera" to "A Hard Day's Night."
After a short prologue that neatly epitomizes India's color and chaos -- and offers a cameo for Anderson regular Bill Murray -- pic settles into a first-class sleeping cabin aboard the Darjeeling Limited, where the Whitman brothers have gathered. Francis ( frequent Anderson collaborator Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (co-scripter Jason Schwartzman) haven't spoken since their father's funeral one year earlier.
Clearly, the siblings all have some healing to do. Francis, the eldest, is swathed in mummy-like bandages resulting from a motorcycle accident (an image that could have unintended resonance for auds who have followed Wilson's recent personal crises). Middle child Peter can't come to terms with his wife's pregnancy. And Jack, the youngest, is so obsessed with his ex-girlfriend he continually eavesdrops on her answering machine.
Armed with a supply of Indian pain relievers, the brothers play catch-up and fall into familiar family patterns. Francis tries to impose his itineraries and menu decisions, Peter flaunts their father's possessions and implies he was the favorite child, and Jack tries to avoid their quarreling through a whirlwind affair with comely train stewardess Rita (Amara Karan).
After they're ejected from the train for egregious rule-breaking, Francis reveals an ulterior motive behind the trip: He wants them to visit their mother (Anjelica Huston), who's now a nun in a Himalayan convent, but she seems less than keen to see them. The convent scenes humorously establish the source of Francis' most irritating mannerisms and pave the way for spiritual healing.
Here, as in his two prior outings, Anderson's arch, highly artificial style gets in the way of character and emotional development, rendering pic piquant rather than profound. Despite intense perfs by Wilson and Brody, Francis and Peter come off as not particularly nice. Schwartzman and Huston fare best at humanizing their characters, while newcomer Karan makes a strong impression as the sexy "sweet lime" girl.
Script gets sibling dynamics down pat, with oft-repeated lines accumulating meaning throughout pic.
Tech credits are top-notch, with particular kudos to Mark Friedberg's gorgeous, intricate production design and Robert Yeoman's nimble lensing. A specially designed, numbered luggage set from Louis Vuitton plays a significant role.
Music track effectively sets the mood with selections from Indian film scores alternating with choice rock tunes.
In Venice, pic screened with a nifty 13-minute short, "Hotel Chevalier," identified in the end credits as "Part 1 of 'The Darjeeling Limited.' " Completed in 2005, pic shows Jack and his ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman) in the titular Parisian hotel.
Short provides a potent prologue that further serves to make Jack the most sympathetic of the brothers and adds resonance to visual motifs that recur in the feature. Per Anderson, "Hotel Chevalier" will not be shown in theaters, but rather on the Internet, at festivals and on DVD.
Camera (Technicolor, Panavision widescreen), Robert Yeoman; editor, Andrew Weisblum; music supervisor, Randall Poster; production designer, Mark Friedberg; art director, Adam Stockhausen; graphic artist, Mark Pollard; costume designer, Milena Canonero; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS), Pawel Wdowczak; assistant director, Emilie Cherpitel. Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (competing), Sept. 2, 2007. (Also in New York Film Festival -- opener). Running time: 91 MIN.
"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
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Sshhh...
For whatever reason, Screendaily wrote a review for The Darjeeling Limited, but forgot to provide a link on their website. But I have it. (I have an RSS feed.) So consider this an exclusive that not even Oscar Watch is privvy to.
The Darjeeling Limited
Lee Marshall in Venice
Screendaily
Dir: Wes Anderson USA 2007. 91 mins.
Wes Anderson treads water, or maybe lime tea, with The Darjeeling Limited, the latest quirky philosophical comedy from the US maverick. This tale of three brothers who meet up on an Indian train to bond and find themselves has a kooky, laid back charm and is full of Anderson's trademark themes and surreal eye candy, but ultimately, for all its offbeat wit and road-to-enlightenment send-ups, it feels a little thin – more poppadum (albeit a fresh and spicy one) than chapati.
Unusually, Darjeeling comes with a stand-alone prologue, a short 13- minute film called Hotel Chevalier, which according to a note from the director distributed to journalists at Venice, "is a separate story...slightly related to the main feature.
It will not be shown in theatres but instead on the internet and also at film festivals and on the DVD".
Commercially, Darjeeling will keep the Anderson faithful happy but is unlikely to add many new recruits to the fanbase.
Owen Wilson's recent suicide attempt (which was followed by the announcement that the star had dropped out of his next project, Tropic Thunder) may stir some ghoulish box-office interest – especially given the uncanny parallels with the backstory of Francis Whitman, the character he plays here.
But Wilson is, after all, an Anderson regular, and the director's mature, media-savvy audience will probably be equally excited by the addition of a deliciously deadpan Adrien Brody to the Anderson stable. DVD prospects look rosy, especially in view of the prologue-extra bait.
Another Anderson teammate, Bill Murray, makes an appearance right at the beginning of the main feature as a businessman running to make the cross-country Indian train that gives the film its title.
But this turns out to be a mere cameo, as Murray misses the Darjeeling Limited and we are left, on the train, in the company of the three Whitman brothers: the eldest, anal control-freak Francis (Wilson), his head swathed in bandages from a recent motorbike accident; the middle one, Peter (Brody), a responsibility-fugitive whose wife is about to have a baby back in the States; and the youngest, Jack (Jason Schwartzman, who also co-penned the script), a writer of short stories which turn out to be near-verbatim accounts of episodes involving his odd family and its traumas.
Francis has summoned his two brothers to India to reconnect with them a year after their father's death. He hands out detailed daily schedules prepared by an alopecia-afflicted research assistant who's travelling in another carriage, and also has a secret agenda: to find the trio's mother – played, of course, by Anjelica Huston – who has become a Catholic nun and moved to a remote convent in the Himalayas (echoes here of Powell and Pressburger's Black Narcissus are just one from the usual Anderson crop of cinematic and cultural references).
If the film itself meanders, occasionally finding itself in stagnant backwaters, the chemistry between the three leads really works, and Darjeeling is peppered (at one point literally) with enjoyable scenes that steer a classic Anderson course between the surreal, the downright comic and the poignant.
As in the director's previous film, The Life Aquatic, there's a shocking moment of real human tragedy, but it comes off more convincingly this time round, serving to jolt the brothers into a connection with the vibrant, spiritual country they're travelling through.
Less persuasive is a flashback scene featuring a cameo by director Barbet Schroeder as a car mechanic, which breaks the rhythm of a voyage that is constantly teetering on the brink of inconsequentiality.
It takes Anjelica Huston to put the train back on its rails: she makes the most of her limited screen time, pulling off the difficult act of making her character utterly believable while never losing contact with the film's quirky sense of humour.
And as we have come to expect from Anderson, the film is a visual treat. The decision to film on a real, moving Indian train may have caused technical headaches (especially given that the director is no fan of handheld takes) but it keeps things feeling fresh and spontaneous.
Production designer Mark Friederg plays up the colourful chaos and retro kitsch of India in his train decor, and Milena Canonero's costume design is also spot-on. Darjeeling also has the bonus of a tasty, collectable soundtrack of classic pop and rock (Peter Sarstedt's song Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) is a running theme) and traditional Indian music – including a number of pieces by Ravi Shankar and others from vintage Indian films.
Hotel Chevalier, the short film which acts as an independent prologue to the main feature and precedes its action chronologically, is set in a Paris hotel room where Jack receives a surprise visit from an ex-girlfriend (played by a crop-haired Nathalie Portman) who is mentioned but never seen in Darjeeling. It's an enjoyably oddball accompaniment to an enoyably oddball film.
For whatever reason, Screendaily wrote a review for The Darjeeling Limited, but forgot to provide a link on their website. But I have it. (I have an RSS feed.) So consider this an exclusive that not even Oscar Watch is privvy to.
The Darjeeling Limited
Lee Marshall in Venice
Screendaily
Dir: Wes Anderson USA 2007. 91 mins.
Wes Anderson treads water, or maybe lime tea, with The Darjeeling Limited, the latest quirky philosophical comedy from the US maverick. This tale of three brothers who meet up on an Indian train to bond and find themselves has a kooky, laid back charm and is full of Anderson's trademark themes and surreal eye candy, but ultimately, for all its offbeat wit and road-to-enlightenment send-ups, it feels a little thin – more poppadum (albeit a fresh and spicy one) than chapati.
Unusually, Darjeeling comes with a stand-alone prologue, a short 13- minute film called Hotel Chevalier, which according to a note from the director distributed to journalists at Venice, "is a separate story...slightly related to the main feature.
It will not be shown in theatres but instead on the internet and also at film festivals and on the DVD".
Commercially, Darjeeling will keep the Anderson faithful happy but is unlikely to add many new recruits to the fanbase.
Owen Wilson's recent suicide attempt (which was followed by the announcement that the star had dropped out of his next project, Tropic Thunder) may stir some ghoulish box-office interest – especially given the uncanny parallels with the backstory of Francis Whitman, the character he plays here.
But Wilson is, after all, an Anderson regular, and the director's mature, media-savvy audience will probably be equally excited by the addition of a deliciously deadpan Adrien Brody to the Anderson stable. DVD prospects look rosy, especially in view of the prologue-extra bait.
Another Anderson teammate, Bill Murray, makes an appearance right at the beginning of the main feature as a businessman running to make the cross-country Indian train that gives the film its title.
But this turns out to be a mere cameo, as Murray misses the Darjeeling Limited and we are left, on the train, in the company of the three Whitman brothers: the eldest, anal control-freak Francis (Wilson), his head swathed in bandages from a recent motorbike accident; the middle one, Peter (Brody), a responsibility-fugitive whose wife is about to have a baby back in the States; and the youngest, Jack (Jason Schwartzman, who also co-penned the script), a writer of short stories which turn out to be near-verbatim accounts of episodes involving his odd family and its traumas.
Francis has summoned his two brothers to India to reconnect with them a year after their father's death. He hands out detailed daily schedules prepared by an alopecia-afflicted research assistant who's travelling in another carriage, and also has a secret agenda: to find the trio's mother – played, of course, by Anjelica Huston – who has become a Catholic nun and moved to a remote convent in the Himalayas (echoes here of Powell and Pressburger's Black Narcissus are just one from the usual Anderson crop of cinematic and cultural references).
If the film itself meanders, occasionally finding itself in stagnant backwaters, the chemistry between the three leads really works, and Darjeeling is peppered (at one point literally) with enjoyable scenes that steer a classic Anderson course between the surreal, the downright comic and the poignant.
As in the director's previous film, The Life Aquatic, there's a shocking moment of real human tragedy, but it comes off more convincingly this time round, serving to jolt the brothers into a connection with the vibrant, spiritual country they're travelling through.
Less persuasive is a flashback scene featuring a cameo by director Barbet Schroeder as a car mechanic, which breaks the rhythm of a voyage that is constantly teetering on the brink of inconsequentiality.
It takes Anjelica Huston to put the train back on its rails: she makes the most of her limited screen time, pulling off the difficult act of making her character utterly believable while never losing contact with the film's quirky sense of humour.
And as we have come to expect from Anderson, the film is a visual treat. The decision to film on a real, moving Indian train may have caused technical headaches (especially given that the director is no fan of handheld takes) but it keeps things feeling fresh and spontaneous.
Production designer Mark Friederg plays up the colourful chaos and retro kitsch of India in his train decor, and Milena Canonero's costume design is also spot-on. Darjeeling also has the bonus of a tasty, collectable soundtrack of classic pop and rock (Peter Sarstedt's song Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) is a running theme) and traditional Indian music – including a number of pieces by Ravi Shankar and others from vintage Indian films.
Hotel Chevalier, the short film which acts as an independent prologue to the main feature and precedes its action chronologically, is set in a Paris hotel room where Jack receives a surprise visit from an ex-girlfriend (played by a crop-haired Nathalie Portman) who is mentioned but never seen in Darjeeling. It's an enjoyably oddball accompaniment to an enoyably oddball film.
"What the hell?"
Win Butler
Win Butler
I wonder what you're referring to, Eric. What did the guy whose "sight has been shut down in my opinion" say about the Royal Tenenbaums? I have to say that after watching the Life Aquatic, which grows increasingly stagnant to me as time goes on, I started questioning my initially positive-but-not-Rushmore-rapturous reception of Tenenbaums. But last weekend I finally revisited the latter, at the Castro Theatre, and not only had it held up, it deepened.
That said, I'm doubtful such a revisitation would change my opinion on the unlockable over-preciousness of the Life Aquatic, and this trailer looks like more of the same. I'll cross my fingers that the vibes the clips give off are a different set than the ones I'll get when I see the whole film. That's the best I can do, right now...
That said, I'm doubtful such a revisitation would change my opinion on the unlockable over-preciousness of the Life Aquatic, and this trailer looks like more of the same. I'll cross my fingers that the vibes the clips give off are a different set than the ones I'll get when I see the whole film. That's the best I can do, right now...
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After watching the trailer four times today, I have to say that I'm afraid. This might be a quite flimsy premise elevated by way of hipster aesthetic. Lord knows, I hope not, bu the trailer doesn't look like the film is going anywhere and you just know the mace scene is going to bomb.
That being said...can't wait.
I wish Skander left his old reviews up. Mr. Hollywood. 'Pretty Persuasion'. Misanthropic douchebag. We corresponded for a little while and then he stopped writing reviews in 2001. His review of 'A.I.' was one of the rare spot-on takes on a first viewing. For that reason alone, it'd be nice to revisit the gentleman's thoughts.
Edited By Sabin on 1185391566
That being said...can't wait.
I wish Skander left his old reviews up. Mr. Hollywood. 'Pretty Persuasion'. Misanthropic douchebag. We corresponded for a little while and then he stopped writing reviews in 2001. His review of 'A.I.' was one of the rare spot-on takes on a first viewing. For that reason alone, it'd be nice to revisit the gentleman's thoughts.
Edited By Sabin on 1185391566
"How's the despair?"
Not gonna lie. Got a little happy-happy-joy-joy going in my life. Sorely needed.
http://www.apple.com/trailer....ex.html
http://www.apple.com/trailer....ex.html
"How's the despair?"