The French Dispatch

Wes Anderson writes and directs this latest entry into his unique cinematic world. The French Dispatch is a supplement in a 1960’s Kansas newspaper that tells its home audience the tales of a small French town Ennui-Sur-Blasé. Those tales are told through the eyes of its ex-pat American writers. They talk of life’s great joys art, love and food. The film itself is built upon five vignettes. An introduction through the cycling tales of Owen Wilson’s Sazerac, Tilda Swinton’s Belzerac covers art, Frances McDormand’s Krementz’s story has love; Jeffery Wright is Roebuck Wright, food journalist and seemingly budding crime author. All book ended by an obituary to the Dispatch’s editor and owner Arthur Howitzer Jr (Bill Murray) whose will dictates his magazine should die with him. The film provides us with the magazines essence through its three main stories covering the history of the French town that is its home.

There is no doubt that Wes Anderson has a style of film making and if you like them then you keep enjoying them, for their colour, humour, eccentricity and the beautiful artistic vision that he puts on the screen. If you don’t like that, then that’s unfortunate.

Luckily for me I do and The French Dispatch, is full on Anderson. Its appearance is stunning, its stories eccentric and humour engaging. A visual feast that made me happy.

Each story is an individual work of art, some working better than others, but each very watchable with an almost endless list of cinematic talent appearing. Some with major parts, such as Benicio Del Toro’s wonderfully eccentric and unhinged Moses Rosenthaler, who discovers his artistic genius in prison. Timothee Chalamet as Zeferelli a poet cum revolutionary. Through to the wondeful ensemble of A-list stars who queue up for the tiniest appearance, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan and Christoph Waltz amongst others.

The whole thing comes together beautifully. Sharing life in a sleepy French town, that seems mundane and unassuming, but with a little bit of exploration is full of fascinating stories, art, love and food. Highlighted at the end of the final story, as Wright muses how we are visitors just trying to find that little “something”.

If you don’t like Anderson’s style this is not going to change your mind. But for me it was a visually arresting joy from start to finish. Every scene beautifully crafted, outstanding performances, and a script full of whit and charm that transports you to a world that doesn’t really exist, but is a joy to spend some time in.