3 out of 5

Director: Wes Anderson

Three brothers – and Wes Anderson – set out to find themselves in India. They sort of succeed. The Darjeeling Limited is completely unaffecting and sort of trite. But: it is co-writer/director Wes Anderson’s attempt to pare down the character and plotting excesses of his past couple attempts in hopes of getting back to the easy charm and appeal of his first two films – Bottle Rocket and Rushmore. Or that’s my spin, anyway. Anderson has mined the same themes of alienation and love lost in all of his films, framing them in very specific (and generally pretty) surroundings and quirky, relatable characters. He took both to extremes with The Royal Tenenbaums, and then pumped that concept with adrenaline for Zissou. Here it seems he was going for something more organic, bringing it back to a central cast and actually using scenery for backdrops as opposed to meticulously colored sets. It still is, of course, Anderson through and through, but it feels a bit more open than his previous two films. That said, though, it’s still uninvolving and indulgent, plot-wise. You don’t much care for these characters, or what’s driving them, and the relationship fractures and bandages don’t seem real. But it’s a good step. Paired with Mr. Fox, hopefully Anderson’s next live action will be another classic.