315. The French Dispatch; movie review

THE FRENCH DISPATCH

Cert 15

103 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, nudity

Wes Anderson is an unusual taste which I thought I had acquired when I enjoyed his very quirky Moonrise Kingdom and Isle Of Dogs.

But, for me, The French Dispatch drifted down the same impenetrable avenue as Fantastic Mr Fox and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

I had high hopes - after all, I had worked in a newspaper offices similar to the one on which the film is focused.

Additionally, I had the unfulfilled notion that the all-star cast, especially Bill Murray and Owen Wilson would make me laugh.

Unfortunately, my comfy chair at Derby Odeon was a giggle-free zone.

The French Dispatch is a collection of films based on articles in American magazine which is based on the continent and edited by an eccentric (Murray).

They include a travelogue of the town Ennui-sur-Blasé by the publication's cycling reporter (Wilson) who discovers its seedier side.

Tilda Swinton has a striking resemblance to Margaret Thatcher as she tells the story of an insane criminal (Benicio Del Toro) who paints still lifes of his prison guard (Léa Seydoux) and whose art is relentlessly plugged by an art dealer (Adrien Brody).

There is then an exploration of student protest by a reporter (Frances McDormand) and the clash between ethics and practicalities with Timothée Chalamet, arguably cinema's hottest current property, to the fore.

Finally, Liev Schreiber and Mathieu Amalric star in a story about drugs, kidnapping and fine dining.

All of the tales have Anderson hallmarks of surreal farce, high-brow dialogue and arresting images which only his mind could dream up.

If he had been around during their pomp I reckon Anderson would have been a splendid member of Monty Python or at least one of their writers.

However, when such a wild mind is unchecked by others, he is bound to have misses as well as hits.

For me, The French Dispatch did not meet his previous standards but I note its critical acclaim and have to admit that with Anderson more than almost any other movie director, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Reasons to watch: If you are fan of the very quirky

Reasons to avoid: No laughs

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? It is believed the French Dispatch is based on the New Yorker and its editor, played by Bill Murray, on the New Yorker's founding editor, Harold Ross.

The final word. Wes Anderson: "I’ve had an apartment in Paris for I don’t know how many years. I’ve reverse-emigrated. And, in Paris, anytime I walk down a street I don’t know well, it’s like going to the movies. It’s just entertaining." New Yorker

 

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