A Reel Review: THE FRENCH DISPATCH

For the most part, the films of stylistic director Wes Anderson have explored with joyful whimsy the sad melancholy of things that have passed from this world; such as grand hotels, the spirit of youth, natural talent, or even love. Here in 2021 he takes a look at the long demise of print journalism with his anthology film, THE FRENCH DISPATCH. 

 

THE FRENCH DISPATCH is composed of three different storylines based on feature articles in the final issue of the fictional Kansas newspaper The French Dispatch, following the death of its long-time editor (Bill Murray). The stories include an incarcerated artist (Benicio del Toro), and his prison-guard lover Simone (Lea Seydoux), a student revolutionary (Timothee Chalamet), and a police commissioner (Mathieu Amalric), who enjoys fine dining. Each story is told through the eyes and words of each respective journalist who find themselves in the middle of each happening (played by Owen Wilson, Frances McDormand, and Jeffrey Wright). 

 

Quirky and untraditional even for an anthology film, THE FRENCH DISPATCH’s three storylines have little or nothing to do with each other, with the only connecting thread being that the writers of each article find themselves deeply imbedded in the happenings. Issues of ethics in journalism come up, but on a deeper level Wes Anderson is looking at how a story can be started as one thing in mind, only to have it take on a life of its own. It’s a statement on not only journalism but nearly any creative endeavor. 

 

The film is put together with Anderson’s usual trademarks; symmetrical framing, tracking shots, quick cuts, and marvelous set design. For good measure he finds a way to use the modern “mannequin challenge” as a cinematic tool…and it works wonderfully. His storytelling doesn’t quite go from A to Z easily as there are some sideways scenes that can be a bit jarring. The film looks gorgeous, and the moments of drama and laughter are perfectly timed and executed. Anderson throws every cinematic trick out there; ranging from various screen and color formats to animation. 

 

Acting is very good and with a huge ensemble cast with shifting storylines it’s difficult to single anyone out. In addition to Murray, Chalamet, Wilson, McDormand, del Toro, and Seydoux…there is also Elisabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Henry Winkler (!), Bob Balaban, Christoph Waltz, Liev Schreiber, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan, and Tony Revolori. An impressive cast, no doubt. 

 

THE FRENCH DISPATCH runs only 103 minutes but feels longer thanks to the massive amount of characters and happenings in the film. It’s easy to feel exhausted once the credits roll, but like most of Anderson’s films, he brings us a world that we would love to wrap ourselves up in. Ambitious, unique, and delivering an important theme, THE FRENCH DISPATCH can be read over and over. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it