Standard Wes Anderson fare that relies on three men (Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, and Jason Shwartzman) to carry the story of estranged brothers setting out on a spiritual journey in India. Practical familial tensions set in as the brothers travel with each other, which is Anderson at his best but also his most comfortable and tried.
Darjeeling may have all the requisite parts of an Andersonian film, but it lacks the bite, wit, and humor that his other films carry. Instead, think of the film as a slower, plodding Royal Tenenbaums, but without the bits of satire and crisp cuts that make that film such a pleasure to watch.
There are strengths to the film, such as a tense scene where the brothers attempt to rescue Indian kids from a capsized raft; emotional and surprising, it has a kick that the rest of the movie hasn't received, making the majority of the film stand out more because of its lack of the aforementioned quality.
Darjeeling is artsy, its camerawork inspired and savvy, but it resembles wading through a marsh, or in this case, running after a train like in the metaphor-heavy ending sequence of the film: one can see the train, can attempt to get closer to it, but ultimately it lies just out of reach. Nice to look back on, but not as entertaining to watch as to explore the themes Anderson presents.
The Darjeeling Limited on Rotten Tomatoes
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