The French Dispatch - Movie review (?)

Hihi friends!!! this is my first blog on my alt acct, sooo yaya!!!! gonna do a review on wes anderson film 'the french dispatch' released in 2021!! i'll post a basic rundown of the story and then my opinion, then rate it out of 7 pomegranate seeds!! (get it, cuz im persephone, and persephone ate pomegranate seeds??? [please laugh]) there won't be any spoilers, but please watch the movie yourself if you can! certainly reccomend it to all my fellow wes anderson fans ^__^

The French Dispatch - Wes Anderson

Currently Wes' most recent movie (not including the upcoming ones such as Asteroid City and The wonderful story of Henry Sugar) It's definitely the most wesandersoney wes anderson movie yet, the visuals are amazing, soft yet vibrant colours, with that signature wes anderson aesthetic, the costumes are on point, and all the stories connect in the end, with the name of the fictional town everything take's place in, Ennui. Ennui in french, basically meaning “a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.” This theme is basically the base for all the stories in the movie, what causes the characters to do what they do.

The plot follows;

"A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings life to a collection of stories published in 'The French Dispatch'."

- sypnosis for the film

This movie was a love letter to art, to artists, and the three stories, and expansive cast with amazing set and costume design and an overall amazing atmosphere, I just love this movie, it's not for everyone, and i can understand why, but if you truly understand the meaning and story of the movie, you'll really enjoy it (you can check out this video for more!! ^^) I also recognized alot of actors from other wes anderson movies, but that's just something that i noticed, wes seems to like using some specific actors in SOME WAY

Segment #1 - The Cycling Reporter

I don't really know if i should include it as a story, but i'll just put it in segments, so this'll be the first segment! anyhoo,

Herbsaint Sazerac goes on a bicycle tour of ennui, showing alot of landmarks/special places, and shows a past + future version of it, showing how much (but also how little) it changed. I really have nothing else to add, but honestly, i really enjoyed it! the way it switched from black and white to colour depending on the time period (black n white 4 past, colour for future.)

Segment #2 - The Concrete Masterpiece

This is one of the first 'stories' in the movie, following a mentally unstable, incarcerated painter told from the perspective of J.K.L Berensen, who is giving a lecture at her former employer's art gallery, where she talks about her personal encounter with Moses Rosenthaler, the painter which i mentioned earlier, serving a sentence in ennui prison for murder, get's attention from Julien Cadazio, another prisoner who's serving a sentence for tax evasion, buys an abstract nude portrait of Simone, a prison officer he forms a relationship and a one-sided love with. Once Cadazio is released, he convinces his art exhibitor family to put it on display, making Rosenthaler a sensation in the art world, spouting copycats and people inspired by him. Internally, Rosenthaler struggles with inspiration to the point of almost-suicide, but devotes himself to a longterm project at Simone's demanding.

Segment #3 - Revisions to a manifesto

Inspired by the historic May 68 protests, Lucinda Krementz reports on a student protest on the streets of ennui, which break out into the 'Chessboard Revolution' callled that because of the students using chess to communicate with the police/government, Krementz has a breif romance with Zeffreli, a "leader" of the revolt, which results in her also helping with his manifesto. This manifesto doesn't impress Juliette, another revolutionary, who turns out to be jealous of Krementz due to her closeness with Zeffreli.

Segment #4 - The Private Dining Room of the Police Commisioner

The last 'story' in this movie, it follows the Retelling of Roebuck Wright's experience attending a private dinner with the Commissionaire of the Ennui police force, prepared by legendary chef Nesscafier. Though, the dinner is interrupted when the commissionaire's son, gigi, is kidnapped and held for ransom by criminals, and it follows Roebuck and the rest of the dinner party's experience ^__^

My Opinion

The French dispatch is an amazing film, basically perfect for rewatching, as you notice more details and references every watch, though it's not for everyone, i think wes anderson fans will enjoy this movie!! well, atleast I, a wes anderson fan did ^^

I tried my best not to put any spoilers, as i want people to experience the movie for themselves!!

overall, i rate this movie a solid 6 our of 7 pomegranate seeds !!!