When Good Directors Go Bad: The Darjeeling Limited (2007, Wes Anderson)

re: When Good Directors Go Bad: The Darjeeling Limited (2007, Wes Anderson)

postalternaguy — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:51:00 GMT

I have to disagree as well. I think "Bottle Rocket" remains Anderson's freshest, most unaffected, and, therefore, best work, with "Rushmore" a close second. After those two films, he started to become self-indulgent with "Royal Tennenbaums," a tendency which overwhelmed "Life Aquatic." But I found "Darjeeling," while not as well realized as Anderson's first two movies, to be a kind of return to form for him. It's imperfect to be sure (for many of the reasons cited here) but his emphasis on character rather than style (and, not insignificantly: a shorter running time) suggests he hasn't completely lost touch with the qualities that led to his early successes.

re: When Good Directors Go Bad: The Darjeeling Limited (2007, Wes Anderson)

StephenCone — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:03:41 GMT

Must say, I had the opposite reaction. I've never been a fan of Anderson, having always found his films grating in their overcalculated quirk (even typing the word makes me nauseous).

DARJEELING won me over, though. I feel it's his most effortless, quirk-free picture, profoundly optimistic and gloriously humane, with his most believable characters to date. The symbols might be obvious (though executed with grace and style), but they don't take center stage and certainly aren't meant to serve as climactic moments. With or without them, the movie is wonderful and, I think, his best film to date.

PS - I'd call Hotel Chevalier his 2nd best.

re: When Good Directors Go Bad: The Darjeeling Limited (2007, Wes Anderson)

adam christ — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:26:38 GMT

spot on re: schwartzman, way off on brody ("he's dead. i didn't save mine;" heartbreaking).

a lot of writers dissed the darj, yet it's surely among the more accessible wes anderson movies. if you get hung up on superfluities like set dressing you're missing out on the broader pleasure of anderson's quirky melange of pop imagery and surreal, characterless characters. he paints in vivid pastels, separated by caricature outlines. it's facile, even rudimentary at times, but consistently beautiful nonetheless.

ps: dissolution > disillusion