A very quirky and non-commercial film, even by Wes Adnerson’s standards. I have to admit to enjoying it, and will certainly get the dvd, but I doubt this film will make any money, nor be for more than the die hard fans. It actually plays a bit like a lesser sister film to the amazing The Royal Tenenbaums, and dealing with the same issues of loss within a family, though this film is much smaller in scope, taking place mostly on a train in India named the Darjeeling Limited. It isn’t as good as the LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU either, which is a very under-appreciated film that I absolutely loved. It is certainly off kilter, and Anderson again creates an amazing world that is certainly not our own, but this one doesn’t feel as deep, and while the characters do change and come back together as a family, it doesn’t hold together as well as his other films (sans Bottlerocket which I didn’t enjoy). Anderson also has a companion short film titled Hotel Chevalier that features Jason Schwartzman in his character from this film meeting with estranged girlfriend played by Natalie Portman (who gives a nice nude ass shot), and it turns up as the story he is writing at the end. Of course I also like the film since their luggage from their father is adorned with his initials, JLW, which of course are my initials.

The film starts with a businessman (Bill Murray) racing in a tiny cab in India trying to rush and make his train, The Darjeeling Limited, but he while running to get onto the already moving train, he is passed by Peter (Adrien Brody) who makes it onto the train, but the businessman does not make it. Peter joins his 2 brother’s on the train. The all estranged, and their family has basically fallen apart since their father died a year before. Peter has a problem with stealing things without asking, and has many things of their father’s. The youngest brother is the writer Jack (Jason Schwartzman) who has not been back to the US since the funeral, and has a destructive relationship with his girlfriend (Natalie Portman who is only seen here in one shot). And the eldest brother Francis (Owen Wilson) who is very controlling, and even has an employee Brendan (Wallace Wolodarsky) who does their schedules. Francis has also been in a serious motorcycle accident, and his entire head is bandaged. He organized this and is trying to get the brother’s into a spiritual journey to get back together, but has also planned to go find their estranged mother Patricia (Angelica Houston) though the other brother’s don’t know or they would never have come.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

Peter sleeps with the stewardess Rita (Amara Karan) but she is just using him as she wants to break up with the Chief Steward (Waris Ahluwalia). Francis tries to get them to go to different temples, and gets his expensive shoe stolen, and notices Jack has stolen his belt. Jack also buys a poisonous snake, which he brings on the train, and it escapes. Things are not going well for these brothers. When the chief steward finds out he comes in and caught it, and sees their prescription drug collection they have all been popping, and confines them to their quarters.

The brother’s continue to get in trouble, and almost get left when the train realizes it is lost (yes a train) and they try to do some spiritual healing exercise, and finally they get kicked off the train in the middle of nowhere.

THey start walking, and they see 3 kids trying to cross a river on a rope bridge and the ropes are snapping. They manage to save 2 of them, but Peter does not, and they end up in the village with the dead child, and when they are going to leave they stay for the funeral. They then flash back to their father’s funeral, when Peter tried to get their father’s Porche from the shop, but can’t, and their mother never shows up. They then flash back to the funeral, and head off.

Peter is supposed to return to his wife who is about to have a baby, and Jack to his girlfriend, but instead they stay with Francis, give up their passports to him and jump on another train, this time as brothers.

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Not amazing, but I still enjoyed this quirky little film.