Customer Ratings & Reviews

A little disappointed with this wes anderson movie. It was good still but not quite as fun as his other movies have been.

Timothee is very good. Interesting. Not the best though.

Not a bad film, but there are better wes anderson films. But still enjoyed it.

It's okay. Style over substance. Not as fun as his other movies.

Not one of Wes Anderson's best but still enjoyable

The first story is really good, but then it goes down hill from there.

While carrying all the known Anderson visual stylings and tropes, The French Dispatch is easily his least appealing, most mundane and flat out boring films, which is saying a lot given the wonderful films he's directed over the years.

Meticulously organized chaos with Wes’ creativity pouring forth from every wonderful scene! American auteur Wes Anderson’s anthology comedy The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021) is an absurdist comedy masterpiece with Anderson’s usual quirky whimsy and colorful symmetry. Wes Anderson is one of my favorite film directors for his hilarious sense of humor and heart storytelling. Anderson’s direction puts a smile on my face with his ultra fast pacing and scenic warmth. It’s 108 minutes and only feels like 45 to me. I love every one of his delightful pictures within his vast filmography at this point and The French Dispatch is certainly his most ambitious absurdist film yet! The French Dispatch’s cast is seriously the greatest ensemble of leading ladies and character actors ever assembled. Benicio del Toro’s mad artist is engrossing and touching at times. Adrien Brody is hilarious as the pretentious modern art dealer with an attitude. Henry Winkler and Bob Balaban’s clueless to modern art uncles to Adrien Brody are just too funny. Tilda Swinton’s art collector is so enthusiastic about modern art that you cannot help but be entertained and interested in her off kilter lecture. Léa Seydoux steals the show for me as the drop dead gorgeous Simone with her stern commands and sincere moments of vulnerable emotion. She’s subtle and captivating in all her brave performances, especially in The French Dispatch. Seydoux conveys Simone’s love and concerns with nuance and care. Seydoux is definitely one of my absolute favorite actresses ever for her masterful subtlety, expressive face, and peerless beauty. I truly appreciate Wes Anderson casting her in a leading lady role that’s not just a quick cameo. Timothée Chalamet is outrageously funny and highly entertaining. He fits Wes Anderson’s aesthetic perfectly and Chalamet is so nuanced that he makes the ridiculous seem plausible and the strange moving. Frances McDormand is at her funniest here alongside Chalamet as she goes on about the ethics of journalism, if there is such a thing anymore. Lyna Khoudri is lovely, fierce, and funny as an independent, French, young lady. Her romantic chemistry with Chalamet is so palpable as she speaks volumes with her body language and subtle expressions. Her fast French speaking is as entertaining and pretty as Seydoux’s. Jeffrey Wright is incredible delivering Wes’ extensive dialogue like he’s really just memorized this entire story. Mathieu Amalric is a pleasant surprise as the hilarious and touching senior police officer. Steve Park is devastating and funny as the chef without equal. Bill Murray’s tough newspaper editor is a perfect role for Murray’s excellence in deadpan comedy. Owen Wilson’s love of all things negative in this French city is so fun with his straight face and serious performance. I love that Wes always casts his favorite actors. Liev Schreiber is fun as he interviews Wright most gravely. Elisabeth Moss’ emotional Alumma is fun alongside Bill Murray. I love that Wes cast Edward Norton as another over the top insane role as he just kills it. Willem Dafoe is only a cameo, but a brilliantly clever and fun one. Lois Smith’s tough art buying is a blast. Saoirse Ronan should have had a bigger cameo, but she’s a stunning Principle Showgirl and even sings a lovely lullaby. I love how naturally emotive she is even in a short part. Christoph Waltz is immediately funny. Jason Schwartzman and Tony Revolori just kill their cameo with very specific roles. Griffin Dunne even cameos as a lawyer! I’m sure there were a ton of people I missed. I hope Wes wins Best Director and The French Dispatch wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards because it deserves all the accolades. I’m surprised and saddened that The French Dispatch did not resonate with more viewers as I am simply floored. I love every single Wes Anderson film and The French Dispatch is certainly a career best. Wes’ sheer force of will style and deeper emotional moments of substance. It’s as much about life as it is great writing. Wes Anderson’s writing is a pleasure to hear. The French Dispatch is clearly a love letter to all of Wes’ favorite writers. His storytelling is layered with a triple arc all within a neat framed narrative. He even goes back and forth effortlessly between the black and white past and the gorgeous color sequences. Wes’ direction is so playful, skillful, and charming that I have to stop and appreciate all his swift pacing and clever directorial choices. I cannot even believe the heavy dialogue and fast lines, let alone Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola, and Hugo Guinness’ complex story. It’s about newspaper writers and all their unique writing styles and the life stories they cover. The French Dispatch is also perhaps Wes’ most humanist film as I was quite moved often when these quaint characters got vulnerable and honest with themselves. Andrew Weisblum’s editing is astounding. I’m honestly baffled at how Wes Anderson filmed The French Dispatch with seemingly hundreds of scenes, let alone how Weisblum sharply cuts just at the right moment to let you absorb everything on screen. I really felt invested in each character and their charming little stories. All three sections of the narrative worked for me. Just when I thought Seydoux’ section could not be topped, Chalamet is amazing me, then Jeffrey Wright is monologuing throughout the entire third act. Impeccable filmmaking all around. Robert D. Yeoman’s cinematography is exquisite. The French Dispatch is Wes Anderson’s best looking film. Every single scene appears so suddenly and has a billion things going on at once. You need to rewatch it to catch everything and I’d gladly welcome a revisit to Wes’ wondrous world in The French Dispatch. The past in black and white is stunning, then your jaw drops every time the frames switch to vivid color with lush life. Adam Stockhausen’s production design is startling with what appears to be dozens upon dozens of quaint French city sets and cute little locales. The French Dispatch is adorable with Wes’ usual softer pastel color palette full of pinks, blues, not to mention all the shades of yellow. Set decorators Rena DeAngelo, Carine Demongueres, Christine Vincent-Genod, and Mathias Canard have so many knick-knacks for props and furnishings all with that antique warmth and sleek Anderson polish. Every set is like a Wes Anderson dollhouse brought to life. Stéphane Cressend, Loïc Chavanon, and Kevin Timon Hill’s art direction is fascinating as every scene looks like a painting, polaroid, or a writer’s journal. Wes’ choice to go from real places, full sets, mini models, and even animation make The French Dispatch like Anderson using every style he’s ever done for one magnificent picture. Wendy Garfinkle, Vico Sharabani, Emanuele Farnesi, Aarif Attarwala, and Alexander Ha’s visual effects are resplendent for all the animation and gunshots. It looks realistic, yet with a cartoon charm. Composer Alexandre Desplat nails the increasingly demented tone alongside Anderson’s frantic pace and packed scenes. His French score is fascinating as he shifts styles, melodies, tones, and instruments depending on the scene’s location and meaning. Like there is guitar that starts playing in the score when Edward Norton first strums his acoustic guitar. I love The French Dispatch’s sound design. Sound crew Craig Berkey, Jean-Paul Mugel, Christopher Scarabosio, and Wayne Lemmer burst with the explosions, let the guns pop, and gently tap down chess pieces for each on screen noise. Milena Canonero and Patricia Colin’s costumes are that quirky Wes Anderson chic with tweed jackets and colors aplenty. Every character looks incredible and as cool as they ever did on the silver screen. Frédérique Ney, Fabienne Robineau, Odile Fourquin, Emmanuelle Pombet, Maya Benamer, and Aurélie Bouchet create unique make-up looks for every person, while adhering to Wes’ hipster fashion aesthetic. Saoirse Ronan and Léa Seydoux look breathtaking right when you see them. I wish I had ventured out to the theater to witness The French Dispatch in all its intended glory, but it’s still an unreal experience at home. I laughed and cried, all with a smile on my face. Thank you Wes Anderson for your lovely film. I really loved The French Dispatch!

It was great! The condition of the product is well preserved