Don’t diss ‘The French Dispatch’
Aili Forster, Staff Writer
On October 22, of 2021, director Wes Anderson returns with his comedy “The French Dispatch”, hitting theaters across the US . The film features a unique cast, ranging from Gen Z heartthrob,Timothee Chalamet to former “Saturday Night Live” star Bill Murray. Following the successful releases of Andersons stop-motion film “Isle of dogs,” “The French dispatch” was long awaited, but ultimately disappointing. It’s exciting for journalists and Wes Anderson lovers, but will be a let down for anyone going to the cinema, expecting a touching drama.
“The French Dispatch” is about an American newspaper, written from Ennui, France. The film’s primary plot is about all the different articles in each section of the paper, and how the writers for each, follow a range of peculiar people to write about. The first article is about Moses Rosenthaler (Benicia El Toro), a prisoner-artist, covered by writer J.K.L Berensen (Tilda Swinton). Another article on a chef starts out as a profile, but ends up becoming a crime-story.
One story that stood out was about Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet). Zeffirelli is a college student and activist. The writer covering Zeffirelli’s story, Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) becomes personally involved with Zeffirelli after helping him edit a manifesto. This conflicts with her journalistic neutrality, giving a good insight into the work of journalists.
The whimsical and bizzare style of Wes Anderson shines through with the different styles of storytelling used in a single storyline. Some scenes are animated, some are play-like, and others switch back and forth from black and white to color. The film also switches from behind the scenes of the writers observing their subjects, to the actual writing or final article. This was by far the most exciting aspect of the movie, as the viewer is constantly visually stimulated.
However, the movie falls short in creating an emotional connection with the viewer. While some may argue the monotone style of narration and writing is part of Anderson’s style, it does not make up for the lack of excitement or spirit in the film. The narration feels tedious after the first couple stories, and makes it hard for the viewer to relate or feel empathy towards a character. The comedy features of the movie also often feels two-dimensional and flat, as the viewers are not provided much context.
Despite the faults in storytelling, one thing to look out for in Anderson’s film is the amazing range of cast members. Tilda Swinton and Lucinda Krementz played their roles perfectly as journalists, and Timothee Chalamet was able to embody the naive yet strong minded character, Zeffirelli, flawlessly.
“The French Dispatch” failed to provide viewers an emotional connection with the characters, and felt dragged out at times. But as a movie for journalists or Wes Anderson lovers, people will certainly be amused by the cast and journalism aspect of the movie.
