Directed by:
Wes AndersonScreenplay:
Wes AndersonCinematography:
Robert D. YeomanComposer:
Alexandre DesplatCast:
Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Murray, Lyna Khoudri, Owen Wilson (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of an American magazine published in the fictional 20th-century French city of Ennui-sur-Blase. With an all-star cast, this vibrant film is a funny, moving celebration of journalism. (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (9)
A short story tribute to "good old France and reportage journalism" that starts with by far the best story (meaning the Seydoux/Del Toro one, not the introductory one), which makes the others seem a bit unfairly ordinary. Another snag is that they are "one and the same". This is doubly annoying because they are "as if by different authors, each with their own unique style of writing", which should have resulted in each having a clear visual identity. But they are all an amalgamation of styles (different genres, film periods, animation) and therefore they are all indistinguishable from each other. Otherwise, everything is typically Anderson: distinctive poetics, elaborate camerawork, work with pompous mise-en-scene, performances on the edge of caricature, but without slipping into goofiness. Overall, this is so much a Wes Anderson film you’ll know with absolute certainty in advance whether you will like it or not. The only question is how much you'll (dis)like it, since it's a Wes Anderson film that's kind of idling this time.
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Wes Anderson has his own unique world, and he keeps crafting film after film within it. His vast knowledge and the way he subtly layers his movies with endless details deserve immense respect. However, I sometimes feel that what his films lack — and it took me a while to find the right word — is entertainment. There are tons of ideas here, and the cast, as always, is packed with talent, each actor delivering in their roles. The premise of a magazine editor passing away and the subsequent publication of a final issue, with each article brought to life by Anderson, sounds captivating at first. But after about half an hour, the novelty wears off, and you start longing for the end. Maybe there’s just too much packed into it for one viewing, or perhaps the fragmented structure of the story, split into smaller, less engaging segments, is the issue. It’s hard to pinpoint. For me, The Grand Budapest Hotel still stands as Anderson’s best work within this hard-to-define genre — it's the funniest, most imaginative, and musically brilliant of his films. Unfortunately, all the elements that made that movie great are what The French Dispatch seems to be missing.
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In colors typical of mannerism, Anderson delves nostalgically into rose-tinted memories of the press, which has long since ceased to exist in this form. A time when journalists were paid for everything and had time to build a real relationship with their themes. A time when writing was valued. In doing so, it pokes fun at artistic, activist and culinary snobbery, and does so with passion and gusto. I hope that someone will take up his idea for a new gastronomic style: food suitable for police surveillance, because it would be useful today for other professions too. IN A NUTSHELL: About the press with love, nostalgia and fantasy.
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Wes Anderson's movie reportage, an amazing film that can be watched from beginning to end with a smile, preferably in the cinema, because that's the kind of film that cinemas were invented for. You can't help but admire the visuals and the innumerable ideas; all the actors are delightful, no matter how small their role, and each of the stories has something to offer. I look forward to seeing this delightful cannonade of fantasy again, and again, and again. Until then, I'll probably be listening nonstop to Desplat's amazing soundtrack.
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After the death of a magazine publisher, the writers find out that their magazine is ending. And in the last issue, besides the obituary, they will publish the best articles about art, politics, and food. Wes Anderson presents a not very interesting bunch of stories about journalists in a form that prevents him from selling what usually makes his films most interesting.
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Gallery (34)
Photo © Searchlight Pictures
![The French Dispatch - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/164/205/164205581_b3a5db.jpg)
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