Inspired by writer-director Wes Anderson’s love of The New Yorker, The French Dispatch indeed plays out like an ode to journalism, though one that isn't as impressive in story as it seems. Anderson has always had a distinct visual style and storytelling beats. In The French Dispatch, he takes those markers and magnifies them, though in this instance it's a detriment to the pacing and execution. The result is a lighthearted story, but one that is deeply frustrating, sluggish and unengaging, attuned to its stylish details above all else.
The French Dispatch follows expat journalists covering the fictitious French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé under the direction of their editor (Bill Murray), with each segment bringing the written stories from the publication to life in colorful fashion. The first segment, “The Concrete Masterpiece,” tells the story of a convicted felon (Benicio Del Toro), his jailer (Léa Seydoux), and the arts dealer (Adrien Brody) who profited off of him during his imprisonment. The second segment, “Revisions to a Manifesto,” sees a writer (s McDormand) covering a student revolutionary (Timothée Chalamet), with whom she has an affair. The third, and final, story, “The Private Dining Room of a Police Commissioner,” follows a journalist (Jeffrey Wright) as he retells an old story he once wrote that centered around a chef/police officer who investigates a kidnapping case.
The French Dispatch unfolds like the magazine it's influenced by. However, while it may be inspired by journalism, it isn’t very interested in journalists beyond the stories they weave for the eponymous publication. The articles literally come to life, with the segments only briefly intercut with scenes detailing the process behind them. The ones putting in the work aren’t given their due, with Anderson’s screenplay swiftly moving from one section to another, the journalist’s personalities lost amid the grandeur of the stories they’re telling. The humanity that should imbue every scene is missing, with Anderson primarily focused on the theatricality of the events that unfold, and even then it’s not very interesting.
In many ways, The French Dispatch is a highly stylized, but idyllic stroll through the craft of producing stories for a publication. The film can be charming, yet cold and empty; energetic, but tedious. The characters are fast-talking, the humor absurd. The direction, cinematography, production design, and costumes are stunning, detailed, and pristine. And yet The French Dispatch lacks depth. Each frame is clean, every transition deliberate, but there is an air of pretentiousness, with the film’s stories having no heart or real intrigue. What's more, The French Dispatch focuses none of its time on the editor, how he runs the Dispatch beyond a few signs — one that reads "no crying" — or the relationships he's forged with his employees.
The film’s second story, “Revisions to a Manifesto,” sees McDormand’s Lucinda Krementz having an affair with Chalamet’s Zeffirelli. Anderson makes light of their relationship, which is meant to showcase Lucinda’s struggles with journalistic integrity, and the revolution itself (which is kept vague). It never feels like the events carry any weight though, proceeding emptily to the next moment, tied loosely together with narration that is far too overstuffed with exposition. Anderson’s brushes with racism or the prison industrial complex are glossed over to maintain the film’s droll intentions.
That said, the first story is the best of the three, more fascinating and whimsy in a way that somewhat works. It helps that the characters complement each other in memorable ways — Del Toro is gruff, blunt, but sad as the exploited prisoner, and Brody sharp and over-the-top. With Seydoux thrown into the mix as the jailer-turned-muse and the colored paintings standing out amid the black and white cinematography, "The Concrete Masterpiece'' is the most engaging and boisterous segment. Beyond that, and despite a star-studded and talented cast that includes Elisabeth Moss, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz (and even a cameo from The Grand Budapest Hotel's Tony Revolori), The French Dispatch is a beautifully made, but dull and pedantic entry from Anderson.
The French Dispatch was released to theaters on October 22, 2021. The film is 108 minutes long and is rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual references and language.
The French Dispatch is an anthology comedy from director Wes Anderson. The story takes place in 1975 when The French Dispatch magazine’s editor dies of a sudden heart attack. His last wish is for a final issue to be published, which includes four articles, “The Cycling Reporter,” “The Concrete Masterpiece,” “Revisions to a Manifesto,” and “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner.” Like most Wes Anderson movies, The French Dispatch has a substantial cast, including Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, and Léa Seydoux, to name a few.
