THE FRENCH DISPATCH
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Adrian Brody, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet, Frances McDorman, Liev Shreiber, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Lois Smith
If you’ve seen The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Royal Tenenbaums, or Moonrise Kingdom, you’re already familiar with the distinct style of Wes Anderson. The famed auteur is back with The French Dispatch, which is probably the most Wes Anderson-y film he’s ever written and directed. The oddball stylings and characters that Anderson is known for are on full display with his ever-growing company of actors. It centers around a magazine called “The French Dispatch” that’s clearly inspired by the New Yorker. It’s chief editor, played by Bill Murray, has passed away suddenly and the film brings to life three articles in the final issue. The first is “The Concrete Masterpiece” about a tortured artist in prison (Benicio Del Toro) who becomes infatuated with the prison guard. The second is a story on politics and poetry with Timothée Chalamet writing a manifesto and Frances McDormand playing a journalist who “helps him out” The final piece is the Taste and Smells article “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner” featuring the likes of Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, and Willem Dafoe.
Here’s my review