Bypassing 'I Am Legend' and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'... Last night me and the mister sat down to a viewing of 'The Darjeeling Limited'.At the time of its release last year, I took a trip to my local multiplex to see the film, expecting to be more than satisfied with the £8.50 I'd spent - I am after all a HUGE fan of the mighty Anderson (Wes) - instead I felt a little... err... empty (and I'd scoffed a vat of popcorn).
However, spotting a copy of the DVD in HMV for a bargainous £6, I knew I had to give it one more go... and yesterday, I did just that.
Being a Wes Anderson production, it couldn't be anything other than a film about a familial relationship, one that is completely dysfunctional (of course). Moving away from the 'bad' father routine, this time Anderson absorbs us into the world of three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman - he's the young lad in previous feature 'Rushmore', in case you couldn't place him) as they attempt to repair the f(l)ailing bond between them.
The clue's in the title as to where this emotional journey takes place... got it yet?... yep, it's India. Not just India though (if there could be such a thing), the film is set aboard a cramped train (the Darjeeling Limited); the two 'things' in conjunction allowing for breathtaking shots of the country (in a similar vein to 'Slumdog Millionaire', no doubt), with regular confrontations between the siblings.
At first, as the audience learns that their father passed away a year or so ago, it seems that the three of them are on a voyage of discovery about one another, intent on returning to their previous 'closeness' whilst coming to terms with their individual torments (a pregnant wife, a manipulative ex-girlfriend etc.).
As the plot thickens, however, the eldest of the three (Wilson) reveals the real reason for the journey - to confront their mother (Anjelica Huston), who has run away to become a nun in the Himalayas (as you do). It is here that we learn why his desire to reconnect to his family is so fervent; his injuries are the result of a failed suicide attempt (all the more pertinent because of Wilson's personal life at the time of release). This desire, in part, is never fully achieved as their mother does a runner in the night (or was perhaps eaten by the man-eating tiger?), leaving them back where they started, mentally albeit in beautiful surroundings.
It's perhaps this part of the film that left me with that hollow feeling, unfortunately, all over again, second time around... I'm not a fan of the overly sentimental endings of, shall we say, more Hollywood productions and am all for the character driven narratives, but I wouldn't mind something happening... something to warrant the production of a film.
Anderson's films have always been highly stylised, and to great effect, and 'The Darjeeling Limited' is no different... but that's just the problem. There's no doubt that it's aesthetically astounding, but it's fallen in to the trap of style over substance, which, for me, just isn't good enough. I may be demanding, but I want both! Hopefully 'Fantastic Mr Fox' delivers...
3 out of 5 *'s
Oh! The soundtrack's flawless...
