Don’t believe the criticism for ‘Darjeelng Limited’
November 6, 2007
The ultimate curse of not seeing a movie right away is the “mixed review.”
When people you know and trust say different things, it’s hard to watch a film and make your own opinions. Fortunately, nobody seems to be talking about the new Wes Anderson movie, “The Darjeeling Limited.”
Ignore any skeptics. This is a great movie. Wes Anderson takes his patented dry wit for making movies, plugs it into a new setting and doesn’t seem boring.
The story revolves around three reunited brothers, played by Jason Schwartzman, Adrian Brody and Owen Wilson. The three are brought back together and embark on a “spiritual journey.” Though only about half the movie actually takes place inside the Darjeeling Limited (a quaintly named train), the brothers’ journey comes to symbolize more than you would expect.
Jason Schwartzman is a great actor, and he performs best when Wes Anderson is at the helm (“Rushmore”). This film confirms this fact.
Even though Owen Wilson usually kills the vibe of any self-respecting movie (“Wedding Crashers” romantic sub-plot, anyone?) he carries this story as the oldest of the three brothers.
Adrian Brody is also an amazing comedic actor. While he could never carry a slapstick role, his dry wit and incredible acting skills keep the film going. Even though he would never win (Russel Crowe from “American Gangster” will), here’s hoping Brody gets nominated for best supporting actor.
With any Wes Anderson movie, you’re going to get father issues, family problems and female drama. Don’t let it distract you. “The Darjeeling Limited” is another classic by the king of dry humor.