Title: The Darjeeling Limited
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Drama
Cast: Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, …
Director: Wes Anderson
Release: (2007)
As the journey continues, we vicariously experience the exquisite pain and wonder of the brothers’ emotionally tender journey towards acceptance and reconciliation, all the while learning to laugh at the absurdities of life in the details. Well, some of us do, though several of you corporate lambs out there are likely to be too artistically impaired by the physical and spiritual ramifications of your preservative-laden, mainstream, ethnocentric diet to actually detect such nuances. To you, it will probably just seem like a very confusing and less funny sequel to Throw Momma from the Train. Mere words cannot possibly express the deeply empathetic anguish that my sensitive, 70’s British glam-rock loving, thrift store bought homemade wool scarf wearing, Pablo Neruda poetry reading, cheap German wine for lunch drinking, heart feels for you. Which is why I want to help. If you do see this movie and happen to notice, in between shoveling fistfuls of Sno-caps into your sallow cheeks, that you don’t seem to be laughing or crying at all the same times as the sexually indeterminate waifs in black, rectangular rimmed glasses or well-worn out t-shirts and ironically added neckties underneath comfortable, corduroy sports jackets around you – don’t panic. Here are a few tips to help you pretend to understand good art so you don’t have to be so embarrassed about your embarrassing lameness.
First and foremost, remember to not be too obvious with any of these. You don’t need to yell out any of these things for the whole theatre to pick up on your hipness. Remember, they are sensitively perceptive souls, as evidenced by their vintage Atari t-shirts and Castro hats, and they will be able to pick up on your slightest mannerisms in ways you can’t possibly understand. So here are a few simple tips to remember when experiencing a Wes Anderson creation. (1) Anderson uses a lot of long, silences and still-life shots in his transitions. When this happens, do not yell back at the projection room for them to check the sound. Nothing is broken. Instead, while you are waiting it out, just cock your head ever-so-slightly to the right and part your lips just a little as if you are seeing something beautiful in a whole new way than ever before. If it helps, imagine that you are looking up at a new dancer on stage at your favorite local strip club. (2) Anderson uses a lot of acoustic folk music, often performed in French or other languages. When this happens, simply smile as if this is one of your favorite songs and move very, very subtly to it in your shoulders and upper torso. Do NOT overdo it, and no head-bobbing. It should appear as if you aren’t even aware of how your body just naturally fuses with hip, indie vibes. If you’re not sure that you can pull this one off, it’s better to play it safe and not try. (3) Artists like Anderson know how to communicate humor without having to rely on such obtuse methods as funny dialogue or events. It’s sort of like, if you can imagine, if one of your “Blue Collar” comedians figured out how to be funny without using curse words or references to the female anatomy – only taken to the next level. Anyway, don’t worry about trying to think too hard about that, all you need to know is this: when any of the characters are talking in low, monotone voices about random things that don’t appear to make any sense – this is funny. Or when they are talking in low, monotone voices about something that kind of makes sense but then they stop for a long, awkward pause in the conversation – this is funny. And when any one of the characters breaks out of their low, monotonous voice to wildly yell something out in a medium, monotone voice – this is hilarious. Laugh accordingly.
If you can remember these few simple pointers, you too can appear to understand the esoteric genius that is Wes Anderson. I’d try to explain it in more detail to you, but unfortunately understanding his brilliance is sort of like what they say about faith or magic: “For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who don’t, none will suffice.” In taking my recommendation here, you’ll just have to trust that I totally get it (which should be obvious anyway, as I am wearing this irreverently illustrated Jesus t-shirt). And though you may never be able to actually appreciate it as much as someone like me, as long as you can remember those few simple pointers, you’ll at least never have to worry about having your simple-minded tastes publicly outed by your betters. (As long as you don’t go out wearing anything with a sports team logo on it, anyway.)
Grading Story: A
Acting: A
Visuals: A+
Originality/Innovation: A+
Enjoyability: A Overall: A
