Wes Anderson is one of those directors that delivers a new treat of a film every few years, with his last few entries being two of the very best so far. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL and ISLE OF DOGS weren’t just audience favorites, they got heavy award nominations to boot. His newest effort is THE FRENCH DISPATCH, which stars Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson. When we originally posted the trailer (a year ago… thanks, Covid), I wasn’t even sure how to describe it, telling folks it was best for to just watch the trailer for yourself. With that cast, it’s hard to imagine this not being on anyone’s must-see list anyway, but as we’ve learned over the years, Wes Anderson films can sometimes be an acquired taste.

The story of THE FRENCH DISPATCH revolves around the final issue of an American magazine published in a fictional 20th Century French city called “Ennui” that seems to know it’s an antiquated art form, and is dealing with the sudden death of its determined-yet-kindly publisher Arthur Howitzer, Jr. (played in bookend sequences by Bill Murray), and we’re given a taste of the publication by way of a few separate stories, each very different in narrative and tone. In fact, while there are definitely shades of Wes Anderson all over this movie, you could almost understand it if they said each segment was helmed by a different director, as they all feel different from each other. We get a look at the town through the eyes of The Cycling Reporter – Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson), who peddles around while explaining what and where everything is, and how much it’s changed.

We work our way into the story of an insane artist named Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio Del Toro) who is confined to a strict prison under the watch of Guard Simone (Léa Seydoux), who has become somewhat infatuated with him, and even poses for his paintings… which are the modern art variety, looking very much like the expression of a mad man. Rosenthaler’s art is discovered by fellow prisoner Julian Cadazio (Adrien Brody), in for financial reasons and soon to be out, who decides Moses needs to be the next big discovery in the art world. But after ridiculously long waits, and the question of Rosenthaler’s declining sanity, Cadazio may regret his mission. This sequence is recapped and partially narrated by art critic J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton).

The next segment follows Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) who is following a Youth Movement and its central male and female figures, Zeffirelli (Timothée Chalamet) and Juliette (Lyna Khoudri). Zeffirelli is a young man wanting to grow up too fast, even bedding Lucinda in hope she understands him better than most his age could. Christoph Waltz makes a brief appearance in this story, but sadly it’s little more than a cameo. This is perhaps the least-engaging of the stories, and is the only real weak point in the film, but only when held in comparison against the previous and following segments which feel much stronger and effective in their execution.

The final segment is easily the highlight of the film, a sort of reward to the viewer for sticking it out. This story follows food critic Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) as he appears on a talk show (the host played by Liev Schreiber), recounting an adventure involving “The Commissaire” (Mathieu Amalric) and his kidnapped boy, and the eccentric and wealthy family’s pursuit. How eccentric, you ask? While going after their kidnapped son, they bring along the family chef to cook for them. It’s a wild excursion, and gets pretty campy now and again, but is ever so satisfying in the end… not unlike a great meal, perhaps?

THE FRENCH DISPATCH is a little bumpy at times, but when it wrapped up I felt myself wanting more, perhaps solely due to the highly enjoyable final segment and Jeffrey Wright’s exceptional performance. There’s also a sweet and rather elegant wrap up to the death of Arthur Howitzer, Jr., showing how his staff chose to honor him. You get the sense that this is a story concept that could easily allow for a dozen more similar stories, perhaps with mixed results like the ones here. While I admire Wes Anderson’s ability to assemble such incredible and diverse casts, there are times here where some of the actors just don’t seem to fit the characters, or have a hard time making their respective characters work. There’s also a few instances where actors I love show up only to be painfully underused. There’s one Anderson regular who appears late in the film a few times, never once (to my recollection) even uttering a single line of dialogue. I suppose many of these performers are just happy to be in one of Anderson’s films, as it does seem like a fun badge of honor. I also wonder if Anderson realized the middle segment was a tad more heavy-handed and less ‘entertaining’ than the others, and placed it where it is as a result.

The performances range from excellent to just plain weird, and in a few cases a bit lackluster. Adrien Brody is quite good, and as I mentioned Jeffrey Wright is easily the standout of the ensemble. Bill Murray plays it straight as Arthur Howitzer, Jr., the magazine’s publisher, but it works here. Tilda Swinton turns in an inspired performance as the art critic, really making the most of her elaborate make-up and prosthetic teeth… I almost didn’t recognize her. Owen Wilson also seems to be having a lot of fun in his role as The Cycling Reporter. Oddly enough, one of the disappointing performances comes by way of the normally terrific Frances McDormand, though it could be due to the heavy material in the segment she’s headlining. Timothée Chalamet, who shares that same segment, also failed to do much for me here, though his character isn’t meant to be all that likable, I suppose. Anderson still finds ways to surprise the viewer though, particularly in his visuals, which at one point utilize a lengthy animated sequence that is hilarious and quite fun.

I’m not sure THE FRENCH DISPATCH will rank as one of Anderson’s best films, but there’s a lot here to like, especially if you can forgive the stuff that doesn’t quite pop. One has to admire the consistently masterful visuals the director delivers in a every single shot, literally making every frame of film museum-worthy. His pacing is something erratic and the tone shifts a lot while you’re trying to keep up, but even the talky portions of the story are still engaging. I look at this film like a collection of short stories in a book by a favorite author. Not every story may wow you, but if you like the voice behind them, you’re likely just happy to have new material. This is also Anderson’s first live action movie in seven years, his last being THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL in 2014. Considering his time off, it’s safe to say the man has still got it.

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