The French Dispatch (2021)

I’ve read many reviews of this that suggest you don’t go and see this unless you like Wes Anderson. Or that this is the most Wes Anderson-y film by Wes Anderson. I understand these arguments to a point, and it’s true, if you find his style maddening there won’t be anything to sink your teeth into here. Taking on a portmanteau style picture is something that would seem to fit right into Anderson’s mantra, and for the most part, The French Dispatch works reasonably well. Split into a three-story anthology (plus two short pieces) in the style of a supplement magazine, The French Dispatch (from the main Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun) is meticulously crafted to within an inch of its life, as you’d probably expect. All the Anderson usual’s make an appearance, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and Benicio Del Toro are particular highlights. For me the middle section lags a tad, and condensing this into a ninety-minute movie may have made it tighter; despite that seeming a ludicrous suggestion for an Anderson film. But considering how long we’ve had to wait for this films release, it was mainly pleasurable enough to immerse myself in an Anderson world again. It’s not up there with The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) or Rushmore (1998) as Anderson’s best, but it’s a solid return for the now legendary director, but one can't help feeling a tad disappointed by the film's conclusion. 6.9/10