The Darjeeling Ltd

Wes Anderson's new film has been released. On a lazy Sunday, I went to the only theater in New Orleans showing independent films for it. It stars Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, and Adrien Brody as three estranged brothers on a train traveling across India to reconnect perhaps against their wills. I've been waiting on pins and needles for this film (and any other Wes Anderson film) and I have good and bad things to say.

Firstly, it's a beautiful film. The colors, locations, the backdrops are all fantastic. The costumes are great and the sets are very much like Life Aquatic. The actors playing the three brothers seemed not to have that great a chemistry, but it may be that their chemistry was so perfect it was an exact replica of feuding brothers. And who would know more about that than Owen Wilson?

The story was good and dialogue driven again though the dialogue I feel wasn't as strong as in previous movies (most notably in Royal Tenenbaums). Darjeeling was written by Anderson, Schwartzman, and burgeoning director Roman Coppola. I long for Wilson to help in the writing again as he did with the first three films (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and Tenenbaums).

As with all Anderson films, this one will also require a second viewing to search for all the subtleties that typically abound in his movies. I will say it's not his strongest film, but it certainly will hold up over time. I'm not sure Brody fits in as a castmember of an Anderson film, but we'll see next time (since he typically uses many of the same actors). Scenes occasionally drag on like there is an improvisation gone boring or the actors are struggling to remember their lines in a timely manner.

Therefore, after one viewing, I'll give it 3 (of 5) stars with a caveat emptor. In English, know what you're getting into when stepping up to the box office.

On Tuesday, I believe I will be going to see a sneak preview of Lars and the Real Girl starring Ryan Gosling. After his fantastic performance as an inner-city teacher in Half-Nelson, I'm thrilled to see this.