540 The Darjeeling Limited

[Roger_Thornhill]

I've had little luck trying to find Hotel Chevalier for download over the last few days, probably because it'll included in the DLimited this Friday.

It should be on iTunes still.

Saw the full film tonight and really, really enjoyed it. I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed it, actually.

Yeah I checked iTunes a few days ago and it said it was taken down. That's okay, I'm glad it's included in the film because I'm planning on seeing it tonight.

[cdnchris]

I have to agree with kaujot in that I was also surprised how much I really enjoyed this. Much better than Aquatic, though nowhere near Tenenbaums. Not as funny (there's some good little bits like how they all kept referring to Wilson's assistant, who has alopecia, as being an albino) but the dramatic bits worked very well

Spoiler

I liked the bit where Wilson confesses that he did try to kill himself.

[kaujot]

I have to agree with kaujot in that I was also surprised how much I really enjoyed this. Much better than Aquatic, though nowhere near Tenenbaums. Not as funny (there's some good little bits like how they all kept referring to Wilson's assistant, who has alopecia, as being an albino) but the dramatic bits worked very well

Spoiler

I liked the bit where Wilson confesses that he did try to kill himself.

Spoiler

I'm not entirely sure how reliable Owen's character is on that, considering the influence his mother had on him, and her presence during the scene. I think it's highly probable that he DID try to kill himself, but I'm not 100% sold on it, which frankly, adds to the scene.

[Steven H]

spoilers.

Well, after having my expectations lowered by Ehrenstein's post I loved this movie to death. My one misgiving is that the luggage bit mentioned earlier was another moment akin to how I felt about the "touching scene" at the end of Life Aquatic, both of which are just a tad too earnestly symbolic for my tastes. But one sour note does not a bad film make.

This has to be Wilson's and Schwartzman's best film roles and Amara Karan still almost stole the first half hour from them (with barely a few sentences, no less). It felt much looser than his other films (all that zooming and slomo), and more like Life Aquatic in its adventure aspect than the first three (which are starting to look more and more connected as a whole compared to the last two films.) Luckily Hotel Chevalier played before the feature (I understand it wasn't at all screenings? maybe it was) as its *much better* on the big screen.

Another criticism I read here that actually popped into my while I was watching was that the "river/kids" plot was tacked on, but it worked for me in the film (similar to the pirate scene in Life Aquatic). After the beginning of the film, you were practically waiting for lightning to strike, so why not something similar. Overall, it reminded me of Rushmore concentrating on character development to the extreme, but not as funny (just different, as they say.)

The "communicate without talking" scene was perfect, and the Ray (and Ray Davies) stuff worked beautifully throughout.

[margot]

Is there any place you can buy those briefcases?

[ogygia avenue]

Is there any place you can buy those briefcases?

I wish. When I saw Wes do a Q/A at the Brattle Theatre, he mentioned that there was only one set of suitcases, and that after the film wrapped the production company auctioned them. The money from the auctions went towards getting ambulances for one of the Indian villages where they shot.

I really loved the film. I went in assuming I'd like it (Wes Anderson fangirl here, though like every other Wes-fan I was really disappointed in Zissou) and it smacked me upside the head. A lot of my appreciation for it comes from where I'm at in my life and things I've been thinking about this year, and not necessarily from the quality of the film -- hence why I haven't expounded upon it in these here parts.

[Cold Bishop]

Wes Anderson fangirl here

*does a spit-take*

[chaddoli]

I really loved the film. I went in assuming I'd like it (Wes Anderson fangirl here, though like every other Wes-fan I was really disappointed in Zissou) and it smacked me upside the head. A lot of my appreciation for it comes from where I'm at in my life and things I've been thinking about this year, and not necessarily from the quality of the film -- hence why I haven't expounded upon it in these here parts.

*rolls eyes*

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

Wes Anderson fangirl here

*does a spit-take*

My internet theory is wrong. There are girls.

I think every Wes fan loved Zissou. I did at least.

Anyone noticed this keeps getting labeled as a comedy, but in reality, the movie isn't very funny compared to his other films. It's a lot more serious. I never really laughed. I chuckled here and there at the albino joke, but that where it ended.

[Andre Jurieu]

I think every Wes fan loved Zissou.

Nope.

Anyone noticed this keeps getting labeled as a comedy, but in reality, the movie isn't very funny compared to his other films. It's a lot more serious. I never really laughed. I chuckled here and there at the albino joke, but that where it ended.

I actually laughed at this one far more than I did during Zissou, but all of his films are labelled as comedies out of habit because they don't fit the mold of traditional Hollywood dramas. I'm not saying that's correct, but that's the reality.

[souvenir]

It is the reality, but it's wrong. I think Zissou may be his funniest film (if nothing else then for Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe), but he sacrificed emotion for humor a bit too much for my taste.

On a side note, please don't let this be the official Criterion thread for the film. We're up to 13 pages now and at least 2/3 are nonsensical speculation. I hope it gets a fresh topic when given a spine number, for navigational ease alone.

[ogygia avenue]

Wes Anderson fangirl here

*does a spit-take*

And this is a surprise...why?

[tryavna]

Wes Anderson fangirl here

*does a spit-take*

And this is a surprise...why?

There ain't many females who post on this forum. We're certainly glad to have you join us.

[ogygia avenue]

I think every Wes fan loved Zissou. I did at least.

Strangely, most of the Wes fans I know ranked Zissou as their least favorite Wes movie -- good by any other standards, but not up to Wes's standards.

The fact that this keeps getting marketed as a comedy is really puzzling; the characters are really unusual and idiosyncratic (and Owen and Schwartzy are primarily known as comedic actors), but the story is actually very sad.

[kaujot]

I think every Wes fan loved Zissou. I did at least.

Strangely, most of the Wes fans I know ranked Zissou as their least favorite Wes movie -- good by any other standards, but not up to Wes's standards.

Every time I watch Zissou, I enjoy it more.

[Ives]

Every time I watch Zissou, I enjoy it more.

Ditto. And not just for its comedy (of which there is plenty) but for its exaggerated humanity...if that makes sense. I find myself thinking about it often.

I'm looking forward to TDL very much.

[John Bored]

Having seen this I can only say that there are some books I've read that when I recall them, for a moment I forget whether it was a book or a film that I experienced. My immediate recollection of The Darjeeling Limited is that I just read a screenplay.

[domino harvey]

Release Date: 02/26/2008-- Not on Criterion

[Noir of the Night]

Damn. Disappointing.

Source?

[Antoine Doinel]

Release Date: 02/26/2008-- Not on Criterion

I'll keep hope alive by thinking that Fox is going to go with a barebones release (like Buena Vista did with Rushmore) with Criterion prepping the special edition.

[Noir of the Night]

It could be worse. Even if Criterion never gets its hands on this, Fox Searchlight's DVDs are usually pretty good.

[justeleblanc]

Release Date: 02/26/2008-- Not on Criterion

Glad to see Criterion finally wises up and stops wasting their time with hipster/dooshe aesthetics.

salt --> wounds \:D/

[GoldenPilgrim]

Release Date: 02/26/2008-- Not on Criterion

Glad to see Criterion finally wises up and stops wasting their time with hipster/dooshe aesthetics.

salt --> wounds \:D/

Uh, I bet Criterion would release this if it could. Even so, you SURE got all of the Darjeeling fan's with that doozy!

[Narshty]

It's such a mess of a film on so many levels; a drama in which no-one is allowed to converse in anything other than comedic quips. I hated the line "I didn't save mine" - Anderson just has to underscore everything with a piss-weak gag line. There really is no control over tone, which at least Life Aquatic sort of had, irritating and parched though it was. Zissou and Darjeeling are basically a drag because none of the characters seem capable of having fun. The only thing worth seeing the film for is Anjelica Huston who somehow manages to be incredibly moving, though it may be because I was so starved for something resembling a real human being by that stage. There was real poignancy in the way she behaved so warmly and affectionately (maternally, I suppose) to her sons while having no plans at all to become part of their lives again and waiting for her chance to up and ditch them once more. One of those rare instances where a bad movie rears up with something fantastic for 10 minutes then dies away again.

[exte]

Like I said, his best film is Rushmore. Motherfucker peaked on his sophomore effort. Now if Owen would help him write again, we'd have a different story...