The new film from Wes Anderson is both the most mature film he's ever done and unlike anything he's ever done before. The Wes Anderson "style" is still evident (perfectly-framed, close-up insert shots; slow-motion sequences set to music; whip-pans), but the trademark quirkiness we've come to expect from an Anderson film has been considerably toned down here. In my opinion, it's for the better.
Don't get me wrong, I love his work. Bottle Rocket and Rushmore are two of the best films of the 90's, and I was one of the few who thought that The Life Aquatic was a great movie. But it seems as if some people are distracted by the zany surface of Anderson's films and therefore have trouble connecting to the emotional layers within. I'm not one of them, but I understand their feelings. Anderson has such an overly-self-conscious style that some people are turned off. With The Darjeeling Limited, he has finally created a film which unabashedly shows its hand instead of hiding behind the poker face of Anderson's usual tricks, and confidently wears its heart on its sleeve. And it's a better film for it.
Before the film, we are treated to a short film entitled Hotel Chevalier, which directly ties in to the feature (which screens immediately after). The history of this short film has been strange: for festival screenings, the short was shown before the film, but for the early limited release, it was removed, and instead was made available for download on iTunes. Now, for the wide release, the short is back. I honestly can't imagine seeing this film without it included. It provides much-needed backstory for Jason Schwartzman's character, and actually gives lines to Natalie Portman (who is relegated to one single shot - and no lines - in the film proper). Without giving too much away, the removal of it also renders Schwartzman's last lines in the film meaningless, as they refer directly to the events of the short.
Anderson usually closes each of his films with a slow-motion shot, set to music. Not in this film. As if he somehow realized he was making an artistic leap of maturity with this film, he has chosen to instead use the slow-motion device throughout various parts of the movie, starting with a beautiful shot at the end of the short set to Peter Sarstedt's "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)", and moving on to several others, including two great sequences set to Kinks songs. Anderson has always used this shot to underscore emotion, and this time he experiments by placing it within the film, instead of at the end. It works wonderfully every single time.
Without going on too much longer, I will point out the great characterization in the film (for example, Owen Wilson's character's ordering of food... when you see it, you'll know) which always felt spot-on and never forced, and of course the great caliber of the acting. These three people feel like brothers - the way they talk, the way they interact. It may seem simple, but it's an extremely difficult thing to pull off. All three are exceptionally cast for their roles, and the result is great chemistry.
The critics' attitude toward Wes Anderson has always puzzled me. We all seemed to agree on Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, and then, at some point, everyone went insane. The Royal Tenenbaums, while containing great moments, was saddled with a muddled narrative, too many characters for the running time, and frankly, was a complete mess. The result? Near unanimous critical praise, and an Oscar nomination for the screenplay. His next two films, The Life Aquatic and now The Darjeeling Limited, were two films that I thought were exceptional and yet are receiving mixed-to-negative reviews. Did you people watch the same film as me? Are people unable, or unwilling, to look past the stylistic surface and see what's underneath? Unfortunately, the popularity of Anderson among college-aged kids as a new, "hip" filmmaker have turned some people off even at the start. Who can blame them? The youngin's are in love with the Anderson style and quirks and don't care about much else. There is substance in these movies. Lots of substance. Film has a long history of dressing up hard-to-swallow subjects to make them more palatable. Why should Anderson get punished for it? Rant over.
Below I have posted the entire 13-minute short film Hotel Chevalier (which plays before The Darjeeling Limited). Warning: contains nudity. So, obviously, it's NSFW. Enjoy!
Click to watch "Hotel Chevalier"
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