I saw a movie called The Darjeeling Limited on Friday Night and I really loved it, It was quite self-conscious and self-reflective to a point that it didn’t get much critical acclaim upon its release (and still hasn’t). Its a film Rolling Stone regards as Wes Andersons worst, nonetheless I really liked it.

Because I don’t have a brother, the idea came from the idea of brotherly disconnect that Darjeeling Limited is based on. One brother is rather pathetically trying to connect, whilst the other feels as though the relationship is damaged beyond repair. I think its a cool idea for a short film because the resolution is quite open ended and would make the audience think about the two brothers future.

On Thursday I intend to film some of the dialogue and get some good shots in, I just need to pick a rather homely, unpopulated location, which will be tough around Melbourne Central!

Short Film-Family Reunion.

A still image of the door is on the screen, as if it is taken from the conservatives perspective. Time is taken and the door is opened, by the hippy brother. The hippy brother is wearing loose fitting, cotton ‘slacks’, a plain t-shirt, big jacket and (notably) dark framed ray-ban sunglasses. He looks strangely at the camera (his brother), squints a bit until a big, rather stupid grin slides across his face.

Hippy Brother: It’s been ages dude (awkward, rather lengthy pause)

Hippy Brother: How longs it been (another lengthy pause)

Hippy Brother: I thought you was dead or married or something……or both?

The Camera now has an image of the conservative brother from Hippy’s perspective. He doesn’t look amused, the actor delivers a dead pan, numbed expression.

The Camera then flips back to Hippy Brother.

Hippy Brother: (another pause as if Hippy is waiting for conservative to react. He throws his arms up) Come on in and see the natural habitat.

The Conservative looks cautiously around the room, he gazes around the walls and looks up at the ceiling instead of down. As he walks around the camera moves to, it’s not stagnant.

After a little bit the shot changes and reveals the hippy looking anxiously at his older brother, he scratches his head and wriggles. Looking nervous he breaks the silence with a hearty yet fake laugh, he shakes his head from side to side as he laughs. Whilst doing this he says in fake disbelief.

Hippy Brother: How longs it been?!

Conservative: 3 years, 7 months and 26 days-Ball Park.

Hippy Brother: Yeah man! Right on! (he slaps conservative on the back, unintentionally condescending)

Hippy Brother: I’m grabbing an orange

As Hippy says orange conservative says his line, there isn’t even a second break, the lines effectively intersect. The conversation is evidently out of rhythm.

Conservative: So what are you up to these days?

Hippy kind of stumbles around, a few pots and pans smash, a glass breaks he doesn’t care.

Hippy: Here we go (Hippy looks at lemon) this will work a treat

Conservative: I thought you were getting an Orange? (hesitantly)

Hippy Looks around as if the Conservative is crazy. He states what he believes to be the obvious.

Hippy: ‘Yeah’.

He bites down.

Hippy: Where were we at? Ahhhh what I was doing over the last…….how long was it?

Conservative: 3 years, 7 months and 26 days

Hippy: Ahhhhhh, yep. I think this place speaks for itself! (the place is a beaten up dump). I’ve been doing a lot of self-prospecting you know (pause) I always thought, we only have a certain amount of time on this earth right, why spend that doing things for the man you know, why not just relax, why all this rushing around and pushing when you can just kick back. (this is acted with big gestures, in a relatively stylised over the top way)

Conservative: So in other words why do something when you can do nothing (some pauses) Sounds like you’ve got things all sorted out then.

Hippy: yeah, well, yknow, it doesn’t sound that good when you say it like that, but I guess that’s what I mean (looking down at the floor, his eyes dart around as if he is staring into the eyes of ants. Anyway this is still something! (awkwardly and suddenly looks up, with a hint of desperation in his voice ……………..Do you want an orange (the hippy is now munching the orange and in a huge bite the juice quirts on the conservatives jacket. Laughingly he responds

Hippy: Well you can have some anyway (In a failed attempt to be sincere he does a loud fake laugh and grabs a lot of tissues and wipes the juice of the front of his brother’s jacket).

Hippy: There you go, as good as new, well maybe slightly worst (he fake laughs and pats his brother on the shoulder)

A large amount of silence occurs

Conservative: I have to tell you something-mums dead (he blurts this out without pauses, he looks forlorn).

Hippy (still wearing sunglasses he looks blankly, numbly at his brother)

 The End