(For those who believe that my music selection is an indication of my overall state, I’ve spent the past two days alternating between blaring The Polyphonic Spree’s “The Fragile Army” and Freedy Johnston’s “Blue Days, Black Nights”. So, yeah, I’m pretty much a human yo-yo right about now. Still, it’s nice to know that I’ll always have my music.)
As I didn’t have any concerts to go to this weekend (and no, I was not able to be persuaded to go see Van Halen twenty plus years after it was last cool to see Van Halen) I decided to catch a movie. Specifically, I went to see The Darjeeling Limited at the Tivoli. First off, I have to say how cool it is that I live two blocks from the Tivoli. On a Saturday night I get to go and watch art films surrounded by maybe a dozen people. I don’t know why I spent so much on a home theater system, I basically have my own theater down the block. Plus, it’s not like you get strange looks for going to movies by yourself when no one is there.
(Ok, so maybe I shouldn’t admit that I go to movies alone. Given that I go to bars alone and grab tables for one at restaurants this really isn’t that big of a deal. As someone once told me, I am very content with my own company.)
Anyway, I did catch the version of the film with the short starring Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman at the start. First impression, is Jason like 4’ 2”? I swear Natalie was taller than him and she is incredibly short. Second, I’m not quite sure what the bruises on Natalie symbolized but I could probably do without them. Third, yep, you sure do get to see a lot more of Natalie than you typically would in say, the Star Wars prequels. Fourth, I like someone carrying an iPod with them to provide their own soundtrack. Fifth, I have no clue what the short was actually about other than two people in a bad relationship in a hotel room in Paris.
As for The Darjeeling Limited I have to say that it is a rather odd movie. Not that it is a bad movie, I liked it a lot, just that it might be unlike anything that I had seen in a very long time. There are essentially only three characters and a grand total of eight speaking roles. You have three rather estranged brothers (Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and a bruised and battered Owen Wilson) on a train trip across India in an attempt to find their mother, address the loss of their father and go on a spiritual journey based on laminated itinerary cards. That makes it sound like there is a driving plot but there really isn’t. As a viewer, you are just along on the journey with them as almost a fourth brother.
Now I’m a fan of Wes Anderson’s work. I think Rushmore is beyond brilliant and The Royal Tennenbaums is wonderfully flawed. The films are interesting just to look at just in terms of the sets and the costumes. He also has a way with language that while not realistic makes for wonderful storytelling. Still, it’s tough to recommend this movie. Not because it is bad, just because it’s different. You laugh but then you wonder why. And then you find yourself touched and you wonder why as well.
Maybe the most off putting part is Owen Wilson’s strong performance. He spends the entire filmed bruised and bandaged from a motorcycle accident. It’s a departure for someone best known for his looks. Add to that his recent suicide attempt and his role seems to take on five different levels of meaning. At one point he looks in the mirror and goes “I think I still need more time to heal” and you wonder just how real a statement that is.
This film isn’t as funny as Rushmore. It’s slightly more realistic than Tennebaums. It contains much less wetsuit action than The Life Aquatic. I’m not quite sure what this movie is like. It’s a road movie on a train. Except the wacky adventures never seem to come because at some point in life you can’t rely on wacky adventures any more. At some point you need to search for truth.
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