The French Dispatch Film Review (No Spoilers)

'The French Dispatch' Searchlight Pictures

Wes Anderson may have delivered us the most star studded cast in the history of filmmaking, and I'm not complaining. Known for his visual framing and qwerky storytelling, Wes Anderson provides audiences with his most ambitious film yet, The French Dispatch. Unfortunately, this is only the second film by Wes Anderson that I have seen, alongside The Grand Budapest Hotel, but you seem to feel a bit of clarity to what Wes Anderson is trying to accomplish after watching his two latest live-action installments.

Synopsis:

"A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in 'The French Dispatch.'"

What You See, Feel, and Hear

Imagine yourself living in the 1950s reading a book that you don't fully understand but in a sense you're capable of visualizing every small detail. Each color pops out at you, each piece of dialogue seems profound, and the humor seems a bit.. dry. That is The French Dispatch. Something that resonates with me from both films that I have seen from Wes Anderson is the visual perspective that he provides. There's no shortage of framing, color satisfaction, and unique camera movement. You, as the viewer, feel engaged with the set from each scene as if you're watching things change and move firsthand, similar to the environment of a broadway theater. Throughout the film you experience about 65% of these stories in a vintage, pastel color, 30% in a vintage black and white color, and then about 5% in animation. (I did mention that this was his most ambitious film, right?)

Because of the dialogue, you tend to catch yourself trying to piece together what's exactly going on in the beginning of the film. However, you learn quickly how unique the story is portrayed as you literally experience the publication of an opening remark, three stories, and a closing remark that are included in "The French Dispatch." Each story is written by separate authors who allow you to experience their mind and the stories that they have put together. Because of this, I felt as if I was watching three full length films and two short films. Viewers are accustomed to investing their minds and their hearts into one story that lasts anywhere between 80-150 minutes long. The French Dispatch offers a collection of stories that range individually between 10-30 minutes long to build up the 1h 43m runtime. Because of this, some may find it difficult to invest in character development or a story arc, and rightfully so.

Though my first remarks mentioned a star studded cast, the acting isn't much of a topic in my opinion. However, I'm starting to learn that this is how Wes Anderson works. His visuals are a clear cut number one focus, his storytelling is second, and then the acting performances come right into place. This doesn't mean that the acting was poorly done. I thoroughly enjoyed performances from Timothée Chalamet, Frances McDormand, Benicio Del Toro, and Adrien Brody. The humor and expressions are meant to be dry and the portrayal of these "old book" characters is well performed.

My Take

How do you feel when you finish a film? Are you emotional, in awe of the story or acting performances, or even disappointed? No matter what type of film it is, more times than not you leave those emotions at the theater or in the moment where you experienced a story on screen. With The French Dispatch, I left and immediately felt inspired. I felt inspired to create art, to draw, to write, to take photos, to express my creative nature in one way or another, and I find that extremely admirable. Overall, I enjoyed this film. With an independent nature to how it was written and created I suggest going in with the right expectations. If you're looking for a blockbuster acting performance because of the names that are involved, or a massive cinematic experience, I think you'll be disappointed. If you're looking to learn something from a creative standpoint, you've come to the right place. You'll notice VERY quickly how different Anderson's style of directing and filmmaking is in comparison to others, but you can't help but appreciate it. Two words that come to mind in describing this film are refreshing and artistic. It's a breath of fresh air to experience something that isn't "copy and paste." Where you may be able to determine what comes next in most films because of a classic story arc, you'll have no idea what's about to happen in The French Dispatch.

Grade: 7.7/10