The French Dispatch
Director: Wes Anderson
Writer: Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman
Starring: Bill Murray, Benicio Del Toro, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Matheiu Amalric, Steve Park, Owen Wilson, Bob Blaban, Henry Winkler, Lois Smith, Tony Revolori, Larry Pine, Christoph Waltz, Liev Schreiber, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Elizabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston (sheesh, so many people are linking up to work with this dude)
Reason for watching: new release and I am trying to find out if I like Wes Anderson movies or not
Number of times I’ve watched it: first time viewing
***
Whether one enjoys Wes Anderson’s movies or not, it cannot be denied the man knows what he is all about and is not afraid to lean into his own style. Of the movies of his that I have seen he does the same thing each time: cast a lot of great actors, bring them for a little bit of work, use extraordinarily colorful sets and costumes, and make dry jokes. Going to his movie is like going to a Starbucks. You know what you are going to get, and it is not all that its cracked up to be.
The French Dispatch revolves around the articles in the newest issue of a magazine with the same title as the movie. The editor of the paper (Bill Murray) follows along with the stories from his reporters and offers them tips along the way. In the travel Section Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) outlines his time in a remote city in France. JKL Berensen (Tilda Swinton) unwinds the tale of prisoner Moses Rosenthaler (Benecio Del Toro) who makes the most unique abstract art of his muse/prison guard Simone (Lea Seydoux). On a more dramatic note, Lucinda Krements (Frances McDormand) is on the beat for a student-led revolution revolving around the romance between Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet) and Juliette (Lyna Khoudri). Finally, Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) was on scene for a hostage situation involving a police captain’s son. In the end there is no real connection between these stories other than them all being told in the same publication.
Before jumping into my thoughts on why this movie does not fit into my more personal tastes, compliments are due to Anderson for how unique his movies are. Without question, he has one of the most unique styles of popular filmmakers. The symmetry of his sets and the colors of the costumes are peerless. It gives his movies a truly dream-like feel that is not usually captured by others. In addition, his ability to garner such deep casts is exceptional. He gets a-list talent like Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Elizabeth Moss, and Owen Wilson to show up for what can not be more than a day or two’s worth of work and gets them to buy into his style.
Truly there is not anything negative I really can say about this movie itself subjectively. All of the parts are there, the pieces are in the right place, but it does not click for me. Something significant is off. The connective tissue does not work to bring everything together. Perhaps there is some vague throughline that I am missing that connects everything. Maybe I do not have the brain to see it. I do not know but the entire experience seems hollow. Not to be a person who squeals about “movie magic,” but that is certainly not what I felt in this movie.
Perhaps this would be best if I just plainly say what goes through my head when I see Wes Anderson’s movies. Are these movies meant to be snobbish or is he completely oblivious to how they are seen? I mean, the movies themselves seem as if they were crafted in a laboratory. Yes, they are unique and his own works, but one could view them as exceedingly pretentious as well. Like any artist who takes themselves too seriously. There’s a common saying in Hollywood and movie-making in general that artists have a “one for you and one for me” deal with the public. One project can be watched and enjoyed by the masses or critics and another was made wholly for them. If you are asking me, I do not think Wes Anderson makes movies for anyone but himself. And that could either be a delightful thing or a terrible thing based on your opinion and thoughts on artistry in general.
4/10
Until I see another one