James Hamilton | Associated Press Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson play dysfunctional brothers in ‘The Darjeeling Limited.’ Now there’s a stretch.

Nine years ago, Jason Schwartzman first achieved fame as the star of director Wes Anderson's “Rushmore.” The film about an ambitious prep school student who is put on academic probation received rave reviews, particularly for Schwartzman, who parlayed the acclaim into a Hollywood career. Nearly a decade has passed, and finally, Schwartzman and Anderson have reunited with “The Darjeeling Limited.” The film, co-written by Anderson, Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, tells the story of three estranged brothers — played by Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson — who attempt to reestablish their collective relationship on a train voyage through India. Before the film opens in San Antonio on Friday, Oct. 26, 210SA sat down with Schwartzman in Austin to get his thoughts on music, Wilson's highly publicized suicide attempt and “Darjeeling” as a departure from Anderson's previous body of work.

I think it goes the other way. It's more mainstream, not like “Transformers,” but more mainstream. I think it's a point of departure for Wes. To me, it's his most wild movie ..... He just wanted to make a wild film, and I hate the word “raw,” but I guess I'll use it. Sometimes, I've heard criticism where it's another (Anderson) film about this or that, but that's the whole point. It's OK with him if he's that kind of filmmaker ..... To me, this one is different. People can get behind and laugh at family and brothers, and people can relate to being forced to go on family vacations.

What was it like working with Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson?

We didn't know each other before it started, and that could have backfired. But immediately, we all liked each other. We started sniffing each other out, and said, “We can get along.” That's what took it to another level, was the intimacy of it. We were three American guys in India who had no friends and nothing to do, so we lived in a house and just spent every waking moment together ..... We'd get on a real moving train and shoot 14 hours together. You can't go anywhere on a train, so you're stuck there, but it was a good kind of claustrophobia.

“Darjeeling” is Owen's first onscreen role since the reported suicide attempt. Is that somewhat strange, considering you're led to believe his character in the film also attempts suicide?

All I can really say about it is Owen's doing well. He's doing great. I'm not really good at talking about life imitating art, and it just feels like I'm probably the wrong guy to talk about it. He's the right guy, and he will, but I don't want to misrepresent. I don't really know the whole truth or much about it, but I know he's doing well.

It was surprising because it seems like he's such a fun-loving guy.

He is a fun-loving guy, may I say, the bomb? (laughs)

How important is “Hotel Chevalier,” the short that stars you and Natalie Portman and precedes “Darjeeling,” to spelling out aspects of the film?

Wes wrote it separately from the movie, and it was always intended to be separate in that the feature film always felt like it had a clear beginning ..... We didn't want to make people think the Natalie Portman short was the beginning, plus, a lot of people don't have iTunes (where the short was originally available). So we put it in there (before the film), and the idea is that you see a lot of back story about the characters. If you see it, it fills in a lot of blanks. The film is mysterious enough, and it essentially gives you some insight into the characters.

Not only that, but the short also marks Natalie Portman's first-ever nude scene. Was that awkward for you?

It was not gratuitous. I just think it's part of what's happening in the movie. Natalie Portman is a great actress, and she was great to do it. But it's always a drag when you do something, and people go, “Oh, my God, what was that like?” Come on ..... that's not the point ..... I hope people go see it and enjoy it because they know it's an interesting movie.

Considering your family history in show business (Schwartzman's mother is Talia Shire from the “Rocky” films and his cousin is Nicolas Cage), was it a foregone conclusion that you'd end up there as well?

Not really. To be honest, I didn't think I could ever be in movies. I didn't want to be an actor. I watched all the movies growing up, “Lethal Weapon” and “Ghostbusters,” and Hollywood seemed like such a big, empty thing. I lived music. I got a drum set when I was 9 and took to that. I set it up all wrong, but I loved that I could make music in my own house. But it wasn't foregone that I'd make it my life to be in show business. I just know that I'm not good at math. I just love music, and it affected me in the way that nothing else did. I loved Nirvana, and (music) was my first love. But I was 16 when I saw “Harold and Maude,” and that was the first time a movie made me feel the way music did.
 
CLINT HALE | 210SA