This weekend, in the midst of Red Sox hoopla and Halloween bashes, I had the good fortune to catch "The Darjeeling Limited" at Red River Theatres in Concord.

Wes Anderson has been a favorite director of mine since "Bottle Rocket," a movie that I can possibly credit with launching my longest adult relationship. Not everyone appreciates Anderson’s whimsy and absurdity, and I’ve read a few reviews that complain about the affected nature of DL, but I loved it.

If you’re not familiar with the story beyond the headlines star Owen Wilson grabbed in his recent suicide attempt, DL follows three brothers embarking on a spiritual journey through India on a train called The Darjeeling Limited.

One of the aspects of Anderson’s filmmaking that always stands out for me is his palette. DL is filled with rich, royal blue, lime green, saffron and gold imagery. They pop against the dusty landscape.

I’ve also always loved the music he finds to fill his soundtrack. In this case, he draws heavily on music from Indian films, with a bit of British rock thrown in. I can’t do a better job outlining the playlist than The Playlist does here. As always, one pivotal track sticks out more than all others for me. In this case, it’s Peter Sarstedt’s "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)."

Warning: Potential spoilers

But moreso than both these components, I love the absurdity and characters that inhabit Anderson’s films. DL more than delivers here. The three brothers - Jason Schwartzman as Jack (who collaborated on the script with Anderson and Roman Coppola), Adrien Brody as Peter and Wilson as Francis - all are wonderfully quirky. They pop Indian painkillers, swig from cold medicine and share each other’s secrets when broken off into groups of twos. Peter is weeks from becoming a first-time father. Francis has smashed his face into the side of a mountain and spends the film wrapped in gauze and bandages. And Jack, who is oddly barefoot for I think the entire film, obsessively checks the messages of his ex-girlfriend, played in a cameo by Natalie Portman. (If you’re fortunate enough to catch the short. "The Hotel Chevalier," beforehand, as Red River screened, you get a bit more backstory on the couple.) All three have not seen each other since their father’s funeral, which their mother did not attend.

I’ve read reviews that complain that Anderson’s touches of absurdity here are too much, but as someone strongly in the Anderson fandom camp, I disagree. I loved that Francis employs a bald assistant, who delivers laminated itineraries to the trio. I loved the rhythm of the way they talked to each other, the way Francis laid out a schedule, even ordered food for his brothers, in a way later echoed by their elusive mother (brilliantly and brightly portrayed by Anjelica Huston, another familiar cast member to Anderson’s films).

I loved seeing Kumar Pallana, who figured in Anderson’s first three films, make a return to the screen in a modest, but visible role. I loved that Bill Murray returned as a frazzled businessman in a nearly wordless role. (It may have been wordless. I can’t recall if he said anything in the very beginning.)

The brothers bicker over such trivialities as who keeps the passports and a belt. Francis is annoyed that Peter has so many of their father’s possessions. Jack finds time for a fling with the train’s sweet lime stewardess. The train, rather absurdly, becomes lost. A poisonous snake unravels their plans, and they somehow end up in the position of being saviors to three young boys in a river.

I can’t give up more than that, but toward the end, Wilson removes his bandages, revealing angry slashes on his face and neck. His brothers watch him in the mirror as he blinks and says, "I guess I have some more healing to do." It is a sentiment that could have been uttered by any of the three, who clearly have wounds they’ve been licking far too long.

There is something really quietly beautiful about the film. My favorite moment, perhaps, was when Rita, the stewardess asks Jack, "What is wrong with you?" and he answers, "I honestly don’t know. I’ll tell you the next time I see you."

I love Anderson’s films because they stay with you. He presents incredible portraits of flawed human beings and puts them in such ridiculous situations that you may temporary overlook the deeper themes. Toward the end, the brothers run for a train and, realizing they won’t make it weighed down by their luggage, toss aside their literal baggage. Although they stray from their laminated schedules, they really do find the spiritual journey Francis wanted them to embark on together, even if the results don’t seem to change much about their behavior.

A word about Red River

It is always a good thing when a new venue opens up to showcase smaller films that might not draw the same crowds that pack blockbusters like "Transformers" or "Hairspray." Red River is a wonderful addition to New Hampshire’s cultural horizon. They close and reopen the curtains before the previews, reminiscent of the way the movie houses I grew up frequenting once did. The seats are quite comfortable, and you are greeted by friendly staff who seem genuinely delighted to share a film with you. It’s more than worth the drive to Concord.

Plus, I caught trailers for "The Savages" and "Juno," both of which subsequently landed on my must-see list.