The French Dispatch (2021)
Put the brush down, Wes Anderson.
Presentation:
The French Dispatch is like a beautiful ex-girlfriend that you always want to check up on. You sort of hope Wes Anderson will do something amazing because on the outside it looks different, but you’re really just dreaming about the good ol’ days. This is the part of Anderson’s career where he seems to have run out of ideas and makes theatrical travel vlogs for each country. First it’s India, Japan, then Budapest, France and then Egypt. This one is supposed to be a love story, but it’s completely devoid of any real soul capturing only cultural stereotypes and caricatures of the French. The story is so nonsensical with really no cohesive thread that makes the film, while absolutely gorgeous and artistic, ultimately pointless.
Conclusion:
I’ve watched nearly every Wes Anderson film and I can’t stop. Please help. By now, you should already know what each film will be - a visually eclectic collage with sporadic storytelling elements sprinkled into the love letter. This might be one of the most pretentious film’s ever created, but that doesn’t take away from Anderson’s ability to create visual marvel after marvel. Unrestrained chaotic creativity is a good description of this film. Wes Anderson cooked too much and really went off the deep end with self-indulgent gibberish. The aesthetics are strong, but when you peel back the thin layers of paint, there’s not even a foundation there. There’s no filmmaker like Wes Anderson, but sometimes you have to know when put the brush down. (Groans).
Recommendations
Put the brush down, Wes Anderson.