ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

THE DARJEELING LIMITED is the kind of film that slowly charms and disarms the viewer. The latest offering from Rushmore director Wes Anderson explores his trademark themes of absent fathers and fractured families but adds a touch of the exotic by setting the bulk of the story on a train journey across India.

Film buffs will spot the references to classics like Jean Renoir's The River and Black Narcissus, but everyone else should easily appreciate the film's gentle whimsy and deadpan humour.

A year after the death of their father, Francis (Owen Wilson) organises a trip designed to bring him closer to his estranged brothers Jack (Jason Schwartzman) and Peter (Adrien Brody). He also intends to steer them all towards a reunion with their mother (Anjelica Huston) who has now taken refuge in a convent.

In Rajasthan, the brothers will join a train and travel through India on what Francis expects to be a spiritual odyssey that will cleanse and restore them. The best laid plans soon go awry with comedy and unexpected tragedy along the way.

Their shared adventures allow the brothers to divulge some secrets (Peter is soon to be a father, Jack is nursing a broken heart etc), bond and rediscover their strength as a family unit.

Unfolding at a leisurely pace amidst the heat and dust of India, The Darjeeling Limited successfully blends the quirky and the heartfelt. It is a mournful film with a light touch and a curious eye that has all the appeal of a shaggy dog story recounted around a warming camp fire. It comes with a bonus in the shape of the short film Hotel Chevalier that sets the mood and adds to the pleasure.

Director: Wes Anderson
Stars: Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Amara Karan, Anjelica Huston
Screenwriters: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman
Certificate: 15
Running time: 91 mins
Country: USA
Year: 2007

© Allan Hunter, 2007