Return to Cinema (take two) 2021 - The French Dispatch

The French Dispatch is weird AF. Maybe I should have watched the trailer before I entered the old cinema. Written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson, the film follows three different storylines as the French foreign bureau of the fictional Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun newspaper creates its final issue.

The first segment, "The Concrete Masterpiece", follows an incarcerated and unstable artist, and stars Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, and Léa Seydoux. The second, "Revisions to a Manifesto", is inspired by the May 68 student protests, and stars Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, and Lyna Khoudri. "The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner" features Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, and Stephen Park, and follows the kidnapping of a police commisioner's son. Bill Murray also stars as Arthur Howitzer Jr., the paper's editor, while Owen Wilson appears in a short segment that introduces the film's fictional setting of Ennui-sur-Blasé.

Following a delay from 2020, The French Dispatch had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 12, 2021.

Honestly so many films/series have been delayed in the last months, year and a bit. So surely we have hit after hit coming to a cinema near you.

However I left the cinema confused whether my love affair with the cinema was over. I haven't really enjoyed that many films at the cinema at all this last few months.

My favourite film was released on Stan recently.

That said, the film has received generally positive reviews from critics, whilst grossing $40.5 million worldwide against its budget of $25 million.

Did I like it though? Not really sadly. There were a few laugh out loud moments but overall I kind of sat through the film making mental notes in my mind. Like who do I need a Christmas present for, do I have enough Christmas cards at all or is the soy milk in the fridge at home still all ok? You know that kind of thing.

So I can only give this 2 stars. Man I have to stop watching everything Elizabeth Moss is in just out of principle.