The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Jack: Did you get maced too?
Rita: No, I'm crying.....What's wrong with you?
Jack: Let me think about that. I'll tell you the next time I see you.
Rita: Sure, tell me then.
Jack: Thanks for using me.
Rita (Sighing): You're welcome.

Following Hotel Chevalier, we see Jack Whitman (Jason Schwarztman) on The Darjeeling Limited, travelling from Mumbai to the Himalayas. The spiritual journey is arranged by his eldest brother, Francis (Owen Wilson) and they are also joined by the middle one, Peter (Adrien Brody). Francis seems to be a rich man as seen from his $3,000 loafers and $6,000 belt. Wondering why they haven't spoken to each other in such a long time (after meeting at their Dad's funeral a year back), he wants this journey to be a life-changing experience.

Every man here is dealing with some personal loss, be it Jack's troubled relationship or Peter's doubts about having children as opposed to getting a divorce. Jack keeps monitoring his ex-girlfriend's answering machine, while Peter seems to have developed a habit of picking up things that don't belong to him. Jack, being in a rebound stage, falls for the railway hostess, Rita (Amara Karan). As he lets his brothers read his autobiographical book, Invisible Ink, he keeps insisting that "all characters are fictional". As they keep fighting about things they did and things they didn't do, they also wonder if they could have ever been friends in life.

Francis: I guess there's still some more healing to do
Jack: You're getting there though
Peter: Anyway, it'll definitely add to your character

As they finally get to meet their mother, which was the main objective of Francis's itinerary (left as T.B.D), they probably realize that feeling sorry for themselves is not the best way to go about it and they are finally able to let go of all the baggage. In a final symbolic scene, we see them running for the train back to Mumbai while letting go of all the baggage that had been slowing them for so long.

Wes Anderson, along with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman, comes up with another brilliant, heartbreaking story and manages well to capture the essence of rural India. The scene where we see every person on board on the Darjeeling Limited, including Jack's ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman) and Bill Murray's unnamed character, is amazing.  The dialogues are again, in the usual "Wes Anderson way", unintentionally funny. And the cast for the movie couldn't have been better chosen.

Rating: 7.5/10