No Country For Old Men  | |
 | The Darjeeling Limited |
| Sicko | |
| Spider-Man 3 | |
| Manufacturing Dissent | |
| The Number 23 | |
| Letters From Iwo Jima | |
| Factory Girl | |
| Black Snake Moan | |
| PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER |
The Darjeeling Limited Starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman Directed by Wes Anderson Reviewed by Adam D. Miller  Wes Anderson has become one of America’s most acclaimed contemporary filmmakers, but has hardly been immune to harsh criticism over the course of his career. Although 1998’s Rushmore won many accolades and is often credited as the film that gave viewers a new perspective on Bill Murray, the films that followed – The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) – showed us how polarized the response to Anderson’s films could be, especially as they became more inventive and off-the-wall.In some ways, The Darjeeling Limited returns to the emotional core of a film like Rushmore, focusing on characters with comical flaws but very real personalities. The Whitman brothers, Jack (Jason Schartzman), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Francis (Owen Wilson), decide to join each other on a train ride through India to reconnect one year after the untimely death of their father. Francis is eager to take his brothers on a “spiritual journey” and throughout the film we see just how strained their relationship is. Secrets are kept and conversation is stifled. But even so, an obvious effort is made by all three of them to connect on some level. Like any Anderson film, much of the appeal of The Darjeeling Limited comes from the visuals and the soundtrack. The former was left largely to the natural beauty of India, while the latter consisted of Anderson’s usual mix of Kinks, Rolling Stones and international pop hits of the 1960s, along with music from the films of Merchant & Ivory. Brief appearances by Anderson regulars Bill Murray (as a traveling businessman) and Angelica Huston (as the Whitman matriarch) further add to the appeal of the film. Ultimately the brothers find their kinship, not through a train ride or anything else they could have expected, but by a tragic experience that throws them further together. If the frivolity of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou was too much for you, you may be amazed as just how much you can identify with the Whitman brothers and their quest. Also noteworthy: Hotel Chevalier, a 13-minute short film available as a free download on iTunes is worth seeking out as it serves as a bit of a prologue to The Darjeeling Limited. The short stars Jason Schwartzman in his Darjeeling role, along with Natalie Portman as his ex-girlfriend, and is set entirely in a Paris hotel room. |
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