Blood brothers

Sara Saleh reviews a fractured tale of bonding against the backdrop of a train trip through culturally rich India

Darjeeling Limited
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Angelica Huston, Natalie Portman, Bill Murray, Irfan Khan

After an epiphany comes to him as a result of a near-death motorcycle accident, eldest Whitman brother, Francis (Owen Wilson), decides it is time for a brotherly train trip through India, accompanied by a surprise visit to their estranged mother.

Joining in on the ride is youngest brother Jack (Jason Schwartzman), who longs to shed the skin of a failed relationship and Peter (Adrien Brody), dazed over his impending fatherhood.

All this is instigated and compounded by the frazzled grief caused by their father's death.

With their awkward, constantly interrupted ways of grieving, including medicinal exchanges, a poisonous snake, every ritual, prayer and ceremony in India, the brothers' flailing grasp takes them further into a fractured attempt at mourning and self-discovery.

The time between two funerals in their lives - though worlds apart - compels them to face their moment of truth, which begins when they learn to leave their luggage behind - a brilliant symbol at the film's culmination.

A wistfully shot movie searching for the unknown allows Anderson to wander freely, taking on a spirituality journey that makes even the slow moments utterly grave and at times amusing.

60-second Profile:
Owen Wilson

Born: November 18, 1968

Background: Born and raised in Texas, at the age of 23 Owen decided to move to LA along with his brothers Luke and Andrew, to pursue their acting careers.

Lucky break: After collaborating with writer and director Wes Anderson on Rushmore, Wilson quickly landed roles in big-budget films such as the Jim Carrey comedy The Cable Guy (1996), Anaconda (1997), Armageddon alongside Ben Affleck (1998), The Haunting (1999), and Meet The Parents (2000) with Ben Stiller.

Claim to fame: Wilson starred in the 2000 action comedy hit Shanghai Noon with Jackie Chan, and again with Stiller in the 2001 film Zoolander.

Gene Hackman hand-picked him to star in Behind Enemy Lines opposite himself, and again in The Royal Tenenbaums along with a star-studded cast including Gwyneth Paltrow and Danny Glover.

2005's Wedding Crashers with Vince Vaughn and You, Me and Dupree were also major hits, as is the current Darjeeling Limited.

Flops: I Spy (2002) opposite Eddie Murphy, the sequel Shanghai Knights (2003) as well as the TV Series remake Starksy and Hutch (2004) were major box office flops for the rising star. 2007 released Night at the Museum also failed to do well at the box office.

Future Plans: Wilson will star alongside Jennifer Aniston in Marley and Me.

Moments: Wilson was on the writing team nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Royal Tenenbaums.

The writer is a movie mad 19-year-old