Date: October 20Location: AMC Sunset Place
Wow, it's been awhile since I saw a movie. Can't let that happen again! I still don't know exactly how I feel about this movie, at least in terms of placing it on the list. I can say that, for now at least, I consider it the weakest of Wes Anderson's films. But that's not saying much, because I consider all the rest masterpieces of varying degree and this one definitely has its place among them. Complicating things is the fact that all of Anderson's films have grown richer and more effective for me over time, and I suspect future viewings of Darjeeling will continue that trend. I'd love to see this film again in the theater, and I will definitely buy the DVD the day it's released.
That said, I can appreciate the criticism that Anderson has gone to the well one too many times, producing another film about broken families set against obsessively detailed mise-en-scene and peppered with slo-mo shots set to obscure 60s pop songs. He definitely does that here, perhaps a couple times too many.
However, I was surprised to see how much Anderson breaks from his signature style in this film — shooting on a moving train and on location in India lends a more organic feel to many of his compositions. The film has a looser, more improvisational feel. And the performances are lovely, with Owen Wilson a particular standout — he has always done his finest work in Anderson's films.
Ultimately, while I feel this is a special film, I hope Anderson stretches his wings a bit more on the next one. His spectacular early success (artistic if not commercial) is working against him now, but I'm guessing 20 years from now his work will be studied and appreciated alongside the other great directors of our time. Five films into Steven Spielberg's career, he was regarded as a boy who refused to grow up, but a couple Munichs and Schindler's Lists later that criticism is forgotten. Wes Anderson is at a similar crossroads, and I for one can't wait to see what direction he takes next.
