Thoughts on 2007: The Darjeeling Limited

Wes Anderson is appreciated in cycles. To explain: I believe that most people's favorite Anderson film is the first one they saw. This is understandable because it is one's first exposure to a wonderfully personal filmmaker who constructs vibrant, striking pictures. Most people of my generation haven't seen anything like it (though his influences are clear in historical and/or international context). Objectively speaking, his best film has to be Rushmore. It certinaly is the "tightest" in terms of narrative, but as I said I'm probably biased because that also my first WES-perience! I went back and saw Bottle Rocket which was probably funnier, but also clunkier. When the The Royal Tenenbaums came out, it captured the same essence but it was strung a little thin. By the time I got to The Life Aquatic I was kind of tired of Wes Anderson. His ouvre was becoming intensely similar, but it was moving in some kind of direction... I'm pretty sure he had no idea where though.

Enter The Darjeeling Limited. Perhaps it was because I expected so little from this new Anderson feature, or perhaps it was because I sorted out my disappointment of The Life Aquatic, but I really responded to this film. Yes, it was more of the same. Yet, not more of the same. Near the beginning of the movie, Wes frees himself from narrative constraint by having Owen Wilson's character literally tell us that their wanderings will be aimless. With that simple acknowledgment, I was on board. And that probably made all the difference. I back in a positive spin for the Wes Anderson cycle. Now let's just hope he attempts something truly different.

Note: One thing many of my co-horts agree with is that we all responded most favorably to Adrien Brody in the film. Perhaps it's because we've already seen what his cast of a regulars do in the Wes-iverse, and the newest players seem the most interesting. I think Brody is starting to slip into an area of underrated-ness. I always find his performances stunningly appropriate and fleshed out (especially something like King Kong).

Recommendation: Yes. But where are you in the cycle?