The Darjeeling Limited

I can't believe I haven't seen an adult movie since waaay back in August. So over the holiday weekend I caught up with Wes Anderson's latest, The Darjeeling Limited. Anderson's understated comedies have always resonated with me, especially The Royal Tennenbaums of a few years back. Anderson's schtick (all right, let's call it ouevre)is all about family and community. What holds families together? What pulls them apart? Anderson seems fascinated by the quirky dynamics of family. Owen Wilson tricks his brothers into a faux spiritual quest in order to make contact with their mother who has become a nun in India. All of this takes place after the father's funeral, since then no one in the family has spoken to each other. At times Anderson's dialogue resembles that of a bad acting exercise but his direction and his actors manage to strip the wood from the words. Not as strong as the aforementioned Tennenbaums, but Darjeeling is worth a trip.

Comments

Anonymous said…

I'll have to check out the DVD.

December 10, 2007 at 9:30 PM

Worth Quoting

There are but three social arrangements which can replace Capitalism: Slavery, Socialism, and Property. --Hilaire Belloc The Servile State

Good reads of 2009

I haven't made a list like this in a while, and I believe I discussed most of these on the blog as I finished them, but I thought I'd make a handy short-hand list for you and me. These are only in the order I read them and do not indicate any preference. The Open Door * Frederica Mathewes-Green The Children of Hurin * J.R.R. Tolkien The Omnivore's Dilemma * Michael Pollan Agrarianism and the Good Society: Land, Culture, Conflict, and Hope * Eric T. Freyfogle Wonderful Fool * Shusaku Endo Up the Rouge: Paddling Detroit's Hidden River * Joel Thurtell and Patricia Beck Johnny Cash and the Great American Contradiction: Christianity and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation * Rodney Clapp (I started the following in December, but I haven't finished them--so far they are excellent: Love and Hate in Jamestown * David A. Price and The Picture of Dorian Gray * Oscar Wilde) Try one of these--let me know.

Rhonwyn's Closet

Given that I'll probably not be published anytime soon and that I'm going to read this in my daughter's class tomorrow--I'm publishing this here and now. Critiques are most welcome. Rhonwyn’s Closet Can you keep a secret? You’ve got to promise not to tell anyone. OK, here, look in my closet. Creepy, huh? Well, it all started when… “Rhonwyn, have you cleaned up after Jasper yet?” my mommy asked me. “Of course, Mommy.” “Really?” Her left eyebrow always looked bent like a caterpillar when she didn’t believe me. “Yes, the yard doesn’t even look like a dog lives there. Except for the dog house with the red roof.” “All right,” she smiled, “Go on and play.” I ran up to my bedroom. The truth was I hadn’t picked up after Jasper. I didn’t want to do it then, I’d do it later. So I opened my closet and reached up to get a game off of the top shelf when something

I Am Not Hamlet

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