If there is one thing we can agree on it is that there is no real conceivable way to fit this into The Darjeeling Limited. We sense Jack's loss in the void of the feature length film because he is entranced by a pretty Indian waitress and tries to connect with her based on the initial physical attraction. This is of course nonsense in that particular situation; she has a boyfriend (or ex?), her own life worlds away from Jack, and he is simply trying to force the same relationship that he lost in this short film. Hotel Chevalier explores this sorrow in more detail but including it would take away from the two other brothers' stories, which together make up the family dynamic which is so crucial to the film. So, while we are allowed glimpses of their past, Anderson wants to push the reconciliation.
In truth there is not a whole canvas of backstory here, either. We are able to sketch out a basic diagram of the man and woman's past relationship, but not any significantly unique nuances or traces. It doesn't really matter. What is so brilliant is how Anderson dictates our way of thinking and allows us to excavate their past through the little gestures and signals. How Jack hesitates for a mere brief second before quickly blurting out a "yes" to her visit. How he obsesses over each detail of the clearly rundown and decrepit hotel room, and how the smash-cut fast forwards to him sitting on the bed, in that agonising wait that most will know very well. How Schwartzman's body language shields the inevitable blow-back of reality as he opens the door; Portman is casually finished up a phone call, instead of leaping into his arms, and questions the music choice. He dodges the initial kiss because he is searching for something more than just a physical reunion. "2 Bloody Mary's", he swiftly mimics. But they are kissing even before the door closely, and he betrays his own feelings. In so little time, Anderson sketches such a tragically heartfelt portrait. Jack is in serious denial of his desires, so much so that his self-imposed exile is so easily tracked down. This is a race of who is more vulnerable, but in the end, he is the clear winner. Guess who initiated the breakup? It would be easy to tell even without a single word of Portman's dialogue.
In truth there is not a whole canvas of backstory here, either. We are able to sketch out a basic diagram of the man and woman's past relationship, but not any significantly unique nuances or traces. It doesn't really matter. What is so brilliant is how Anderson dictates our way of thinking and allows us to excavate their past through the little gestures and signals. How Jack hesitates for a mere brief second before quickly blurting out a "yes" to her visit. How he obsesses over each detail of the clearly rundown and decrepit hotel room, and how the smash-cut fast forwards to him sitting on the bed, in that agonising wait that most will know very well. How Schwartzman's body language shields the inevitable blow-back of reality as he opens the door; Portman is casually finished up a phone call, instead of leaping into his arms, and questions the music choice. He dodges the initial kiss because he is searching for something more than just a physical reunion. "2 Bloody Mary's", he swiftly mimics. But they are kissing even before the door closely, and he betrays his own feelings. In so little time, Anderson sketches such a tragically heartfelt portrait. Jack is in serious denial of his desires, so much so that his self-imposed exile is so easily tracked down. This is a race of who is more vulnerable, but in the end, he is the clear winner. Guess who initiated the breakup? It would be easy to tell even without a single word of Portman's dialogue.