The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

I am a big fan of Wes Anderson for his quirky stories and characters as much as for his meticulously designed scenes and camera shots. That, and he is from Houston. As I finally sat down to see The Darjeeling Limited, I was able to take in the authentic sights and sounds of the open-air markets and temples of India. In the wake of their father’s funeral, three estranged brothers have agreed to make a joint pilgrimage by train (and many other modes of travel) and maybe find spiritual enlightenment. (Good luck with that, when Owen Wilson is your itinerary planner.) They also choose to drop in on their mother, who ran off to join a convent and does not want to see them; seeing in her the mother hen qualities we previously noted in Owen’s eldest brother character is interesting. The three men’s journey is wild and episodic, forming a travelog for us, as spectators, too. This movie exemplifies the saying “The journey is its own reward.” Like Owen’s character (who wouldn’t know a chakra from a chicken), I couldn’t say if it is Zen or what in virtue, but The Darjeeling Limited has virtue and character in full. Join the brothers on their sojourn towards maturity. Come for the vista, stay for the angst. Enjoy! 5 stars. (5-3-2016)