Three actors who look unlike are cast as three brothers who also don’t look alike in a road trip that leads to nowhere. Imagine a straight “Priscilla.” Or a Marx Bros version of “Fried Green Tomatoes.” And that’s what you’ve got on “Darjeeling Limited.”
Because it’s a Wes Anderson film there are attempts at cleverness and some oh-so-smart film making techniques. But the straight-on camera shots and the camera tracking shots of staged scenes and framing the brothers as cardboard cut-outs and the music repitition quickly tires. Oh. There’s a funny, little trailer bit at the beginning that’s so dead pan that it feels more like a used bed pan.
Anyway, one brother connives the other brothers in a way that is totally unconvincing to go on this road trip, sorry, rail trip, across India. Why? It isn’t made clear until halfway-ish through and we don’t care by the time we’re told. We just wished they hurry up and get there so we can get off.
It’s an American film. So, there’s the obligatory feel-good, personal transformation bit floating around in the middle somewhere. Needless to say, the brothers are transformed from squabbling selfish brothers who you hope wouldn’t ever sit next to you on a train/bus/plane to not quite so selfish, squabbling brothers who you would cash in your tickets if you thought they were going to be on the same train/bus/plane. Two brothers rescue two drowning Indian children but one brother does not and, as he says, “Mine died!” Isn’t cultural imperialism great?
But! Guess what! Earlier we’re told his wife is pregnant with their first child. And! Guess what! The sonogram says it will be a boy! It must be reincarnation! We’re in India, right? And it’s a clever American film, right?
