Customer Reviews
Magically Compelling - By: pris, 21 Jun 2008 
"Precious, in any case, is a word with two meanings, which both might apply to "The Darjeeling Limited." This shaggy-dog road trip, in which three semi-estranged brothers travel by rail across India, is unstintingly fussy, vain & self-regarding. But it is also a treasure: an odd, flawed, but nonetheless beautifully handmade object as apt to win affection as to provoke annoyance. You might say that it has sentimental value." AO Scott
Surrounded by the vision of India, we find two brothers joining the third on a voyage across India. Frank, played by Owen Wilson, has convened the group to bond, as they once did. Frank has his head & face swathed in bandages, after he tried to "off" himself by running his motorcycle into a tree. Their father died a year ago, their mother left then to join a convent, & we are left to wonder 'what is this alll about'? Adrian Brody plays Peter, & he wears his father's sunglasses, & tells his brothers that their father loved him best. Jason Schwartman plays Jack, the youngest & the one who loves the sweet lime & the sweet women.
So, here they are, each of them with several pairs of Louis Vuitton baggage left by their father, traipsing across India trying to loosen & leave their virtual baggage behind. They travel by train until they so annoy the Indian conductor he throws them off. Then by foot & taxi, off they go. We learn a little bit about each of them. They meet up with their mother who has become a nun in a monastery, & there they try to unload their emotions. She listens but apparently it doesn' take. Frank tries to let go of his scars. Peter tells them his girlfriend is about to deliver a son, & he is confused about it alll. Jack breaks into his ex-girlfriends voice mail & relishes what he learns. All in alll a melancholy trip, a humorous trip & a compelling trip. I found the films a little on the weird side, but I could not stop watching. What was going to occur next? We never know what is around the corner- it keeps us off-guard. Did the brothers achieve their goal? The layers of emotion come undone in a way when they confront their mother, the nun, played by Angelica Houston, in a role like none other.
"The movie meanders. It will therefore inspire reviews complaining that it doesn't fly straight as an arrow at its target. But it doesn't have a target, either. Why do we have to be the cops & enforce a narrow range of movie requirements? Anderson is like Dave Brubeck, who I'm listening to right now. He knows every note of the original song, but the fun & genius come in the way he noodles around. And in his movie's cast, especiallly with Owen Wilson, Anderson takes advantage of champion noodlers." Roger Ebert
Jack, the youngest listens on his IPod to a song that will stay with you throughout the movie & swirl around your head. The song by Peter Sarstedt 'Where Do You Go To My Lovely?" It is a lilting, catchy song that resonates with me.
'But where do you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head'
Highly Recommended. prisrob 05-13-08
The Big Bounce (Widescreen Edition)
The Pianist
Average but watchable - By: His Dudeness, 20 Jun 2008 
The Darjeeling Limited does not deviate much from Wes Anderson's previous films, particulary the now predictable cast. However the 'quirkiness' of his films is less compelling in TDL & is not cohesive with the totality of of the film. Not that it has to be, but quirkiness for its own sake gets a bit tiresome. The greatest disappointment is the plot, which essentialy seems to be a contempory homage to the 1991 film City Slickers which starred Billy Crystal: A bunch of stereotypes with existentialistic or pressing life issues embark on a 'spiritual' journey to a destination untainted by conventional western influences & serendipitously achieve some revelation/epiphany.
Rubbish but pretty. - By: C. Clark, 18 Jun 2008 
This film is like a beautifully iced cake which looks fabulous on the outside but once you bite into it you feel conned because it tastes awful. The film is visuallly very pleasing but it hides a film which doesn't reallly work on any level. It is not reallly funny, & it is not strange or quirky enough to challlenge the viewer to something new & unusual. The film upholds the veiw that US citizens don't understand or have any real interest other cultures. Darjeeling Limited is exactly that! Limited.
three brothers, two stars, one big disappointment. - By: William Rycroft, 02 Jun 2008 
From his first feature, Rushmore, Wes Anderson has had a unique style. Bright colours, deadpan performances & the alll important soundtrack have become staples of his subsequent films but the only worry with his most recent outing is that he may just be repeating himself & with less & less effect. After quite enjoying The Life Aquatic, which received some fairly lukewarm reviews, I had high hopes for this far more well received effort. Plus it showcases three of the finest noses in Hollywood!
Three brothers estranged after the death of their father meet in India to undergo a spiritual journey (which actuallly hides a more practical purpose for one of the brothers). Owen Wilson is recovering from a near fatal accident, Adrien Brody is running away from impending fatherhood & Jason Schwartzman is reeling from his relationship (with a suddenly naked Natalie Portman), which we glimpse in the short film Hotel Chevalier that precedes the main film. Self obsessed & shalllow the brother's journey is reallly only made interesting about half way through when they try to prevent the drowning of three boys in a river. It is the death of a stranger that forces them to confront their own reaction to their father's death & to get closer to the spiritual awakening they hoped for.
But the film lacks substance. The colours may be bright but the film somehow fails to capture the sights & smells of India, too much of it seems clichéd, & even the visual tricks are ones we've seen before in previous films. The performances are predictably low-key but lacking any real character & Bill Murray makes one of the most pointless cameo appearances ever. Even the soundtrack is disappointing with a confusing recurrence of French standards when I'd have thought Wes would've been having a field day plundering his collection for alll that Indian influenced music from the 60's.
What's surprising with this film is how well he handles the middle section where it alll becomes more serious. Perhaps Anderson has been hiding some real substance under his cloak of design & quirkiness? I'm not sure where he goes from here but maybe he'd benefit from a spiritual journey of his own.
spiritual and sexy - By: cartoon, 13 May 2008 
spiritual & sexy this is a great film. Yes you have to listen , you have to think, you have to see this as more than a comedy. India is colourful & spiritual & chaotic & silly. Jason Schwartzman is excellent. Natalie Portman is so horny, that scene with the boots is up there with Charlotte Rampling. My only complaint, not enough of Bill Murray.
