Since his first two Texas-based films, Wes Anderson has been on the move.
The Royal Tenenbaums took over a limestone mini-mansion in Harlem's Hamilton Heights and
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou went abroad to Italy. With his new film,
The Darjeeling Limited, the journey continues.
Francis Whitman (Owen Wilson) convinces his younger brothers Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) to meet him in India for a spiritual journey in hopes of reconnecting as a family. In keeping with poignant, quirky daddy issues of previous Anderson films, each brother is finding difficulty coping with their father's death a year prior to the reunion. Jack has been living in Paris' Hotel Chevalier while also hiding from his ex-girlfriend; Peter carries various paternal possessions, including wearing sunglasses with the original prescription; and Francis is decked in bandages following a horrific motorcycle accident, after which his heart stopped beating and he had the epiphany to organize the Indian adventure.
Aboard the titular train, Francis shares his minute-by-minute plan on laminated note cards with new schedules delivered to their door daily by his personal assistant Brendan. India's most spiritual destinations are on the agenda and oldest brother Francis acts as surrogate parent by ordering at meals for his family, confident that he knows best. The overplanning is naturally ineffective and only when the brothers reach the depths of desperation do they unexpectedly encounter their spiritual awakening.
The ensuing sustained emotion hints that Anderson is maturing as a filmmaker. His previous works, though showcasing childlike adults, exhibit a progressively more grown-up feel and experiment with increasing gaps of silence (i.e.
Life Aquatic's helicopter crash and following scenes). The nearly fifteen successive minutes of such moments in
Darjeeling creates a sudden paralyzing state that is strikingly effective in the midst of typical Andersonian comedy. It is the event necessary to give the film Anderson's trademark bittersweet happiness and make it a true success.
Written with Schwartzman and Roman Coppola,
Darjeeling has many Anderson mainstays in terms of cast and themes, but as with the setting, much has changed. Gone is the standard Mark Mothersbaugh original score (though surely to return soon). In its place is an enthralling assortment of music from the Indian films that inspired
Darjeeling, namely those of Satyajit Ray and Merchant Ivory productions. Also new to the scene is Brody, whose masks of melancholy fit smoothly into the Anderson world. But make no mistake: this is still very much a Wes Anderson film, and though criticism indicating otherwise continues to mount, Anderson should not stop making "Wes Anderson films." His originality is necessary in an industry of unnecessary sequels and other banality.
Where to next, Wes? That Australian outback piece that Owen and Jason hinted at after
Tenenbaums? The Antarctic? (Well, Team Zissou was "Trapped in the Ice.") After the claymation
Fantastic Mr. Fox is finished, let us know.