The Darjeeling Limited
2 Stars

Fox Searchlight, 91mins, TBA
Written and Directed
by Wes Anderson

The film begins with the Businessman (Bill Murray). He's trying to get on the Dargeeling limited. He doesn't make it and we never see him again. Well, we do, but it's for two seconds and it makes no sense at all. Welcome to the world of Wes Anderson, the most overrated auteur of the '00z.

Instead of the businessman, Wes is following Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman), three brothers who are on a spiritual quest. Exactly what this is for isn't explained for most of the film, but these are not exactly people, these are cartoon characters in human drag, and they act like it. They argue, they have magic props, and Jack gets stewardess Rita (Amara Karan) in the sack.  They also fight with the Chief Steward (Waris Ahluwalia) and Frances' flunkey Brendan (Wally Wolodarsky).

There's a flashback which makes little sense, numerous references to a short Anderson and Schartzman made with Natalie Portman a few years before, which of course, only shown at selected film festivals with  this film, but is not going to be in general release.

Anderson's films are mostly tableaus, with the characters posing rather than actually acting all that much. He does this in every film, and it's annoying as hell. Granted this is one of his better ones, but “The Life Aquatic” was horrible. Anjelica Huston has a short part as the boy's mother and Ms. Portman has a two second cameo with Bill Murray. This is a waste of money.



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