The Darjeeling Limited

Okay, so Wes Anderson's particular patented brand of esoteric eccentricity is not going to be everyone's cup of Darjeeling, and in his latest film the thrummy rock-snob soundtrack, family issues and slo-mo tracking shots are all present and correct. The director probably isn't going to make any new converts, but for fans it's a delight. This time around, three brothers, one train, a laminating machine and a whole lotta India are the subject matter under Anderson's kaleidoscopic gaze. Despite gorgeous visuals and a sharp, wry script, it's an uneven, episodic film. Once the brothers get off the train the film hits a bit of a downturn and tends to drag – even at ninety-odd minutes it feels a bit too long. But it bristles with Anderson's characteristic verve and a genuine poignancy, full of sparky, dry humour, colour-saturated scenery and red herring cameos. Thankfully the Inner Journey platitudes are kept to a minimum and the result is an oddly bittersweet, playful odyssey, in an unabashedly quirky, postcolonial kind of way. [Laura Smith]