Last night I dreamt of snow, so it only makes sense that today was full of gloomy rain.
The scariest part about Halloween is that its other name is NaNoWriMo Eve.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
the darjeeling limited
EDIT: THIS REVIEW SUCKS AND I HATE IT, GOD ONLY KNOWS WHY I'M LEAVING IT UP, DON'T READ
Ask any hipster what you get when you blend distinct quirkiness, family issues, and the Futura font and you couldn't possibly get a reply other than Wes Anderson. Crafter of critical darlings Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, the filmmaker's unmistakable style and creative flair have driven some of the most revered dark comedies of the past several years. And with each successive film came growth - not necessarily in quality or storytelling or wit (many would argue quite the contrary) - but in scope and ambition. The Darjeeling Limited - a story of estranged brothers bonding on a journey across India - follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, with a few key twists to the traditional Wes Anderson dramedy. (can I say that word?)
Most notably, the cast of characters (riddled with Wes Anderson alumni) isn't nearly as expansive as in his previous films - no Tenenbaum family or Zissou crew here - instead, most of the film is centered around the relationships between the three Whitman brothers. Consequently, each character's lines had plenty of room to breathe, and the relationship between Wilson, Schwartzman and Brody becomes alive and nuanced and real. When you set this to a backdrop of the gorgeously-shot country of India and a soundtrack melding Anderson's typical British rock with perfectly-fitting Indian music, you have the recipe for one of the most striking films of the year.
Missteps are few and far between - Anjelica Huston (despite being used to great effect in previous Anderson flicks) had a part so brief and cut short that one must wonder if she only had one hour open to film. It also could have used another fifteen minutes. Less dialog-heavy than one would expect from Anderson, a lot of development and message was not the vocal kind - but I found myself craving more of the auteur's trademark off-beat witticisms. Most unforgivable, though, is the heavy-handed symbolism near the end with all the subtlety of a Michael Bay film. For being a small portion of screen time, it does manage to leave a bittersweet taste in the viewer's mouth.
The voyage in The Darjeeling Limited is an enjoyable voyage for the viewer - melancholy, bittersweet, and oft saying to hell with the itinerary. Anderson (and writers Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman) wove love and loss and time into a touching and sincere journey that matches great actors with great characters. The result is the director's most heartfelt and mature movie to date - as beautifully imperfect and incomplete as all our dearest relationships.
Ask any hipster what you get when you blend distinct quirkiness, family issues, and the Futura font and you couldn't possibly get a reply other than Wes Anderson. Crafter of critical darlings Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, the filmmaker's unmistakable style and creative flair have driven some of the most revered dark comedies of the past several years. And with each successive film came growth - not necessarily in quality or storytelling or wit (many would argue quite the contrary) - but in scope and ambition. The Darjeeling Limited - a story of estranged brothers bonding on a journey across India - follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, with a few key twists to the traditional Wes Anderson dramedy. (can I say that word?)
Most notably, the cast of characters (riddled with Wes Anderson alumni) isn't nearly as expansive as in his previous films - no Tenenbaum family or Zissou crew here - instead, most of the film is centered around the relationships between the three Whitman brothers. Consequently, each character's lines had plenty of room to breathe, and the relationship between Wilson, Schwartzman and Brody becomes alive and nuanced and real. When you set this to a backdrop of the gorgeously-shot country of India and a soundtrack melding Anderson's typical British rock with perfectly-fitting Indian music, you have the recipe for one of the most striking films of the year.
Missteps are few and far between - Anjelica Huston (despite being used to great effect in previous Anderson flicks) had a part so brief and cut short that one must wonder if she only had one hour open to film. It also could have used another fifteen minutes. Less dialog-heavy than one would expect from Anderson, a lot of development and message was not the vocal kind - but I found myself craving more of the auteur's trademark off-beat witticisms. Most unforgivable, though, is the heavy-handed symbolism near the end with all the subtlety of a Michael Bay film. For being a small portion of screen time, it does manage to leave a bittersweet taste in the viewer's mouth.
The voyage in The Darjeeling Limited is an enjoyable voyage for the viewer - melancholy, bittersweet, and oft saying to hell with the itinerary. Anderson (and writers Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman) wove love and loss and time into a touching and sincere journey that matches great actors with great characters. The result is the director's most heartfelt and mature movie to date - as beautifully imperfect and incomplete as all our dearest relationships.
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