“He could paint this beautifully if he wanted, but he thinks this is better, and I think I sort of agree with him.”Īnderson takes advantage of the same psychological phenomenon, interrupting the soundtrack suddenly, framing scenes obviously and writing archetypal characters but seen as all the more skilled for it because it’s just assumed he could do things more conventionally if he wanted to. When an ambitious art dealer (Adrien Brody) attempts to convince his uncles that the homicidal painter is a savant, the exchange pokes fun at how trends manipulate our perceived value of art. Anderson satirises modern art and comments on the commodification of art, with reference to Banksy and other artists whose art is specifically intended not to be collected. The second story, The Concrete Masterpiece, is about the commercialisation of a criminally insane painter (Benicio del Toro) in an asylum, who’s in love with a guard. The first story of The French Dispatch is a parade of his unique comedy. His subjects are hyper-intentionally choreographed both physically (for example, the way they turn to face the camera at carefully timed moments) and in their dialogue (speaking with a comedic, almost robotic straightforwardness laced with a childish wit). Anderson’s films are packed with Easter eggs that are intended to be easy to notice – making a viewer feel included in the joke.Īndersonian humour tends to rely on the artificially stiff and orderly behaviour of a person or group of people. These details are as unnecessary as they are charming and funny. 8.25 bodies are pulled from the Blasé River each week, a figure which remains consistent despite population growth and advances in health and hygiene.” During the tour of Ennui, The Cycling Reporter states, “department of local statistics – average rainfall: 750mm. Anderson’s films are ostentatiously detailed, imbuing them with nostalgia and familiarity. It’s an energetic start, which lays a contextual foundation for the stories to come. © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved The French Dispatch. Already in this first story, Anderson sates his fascination with period architecture sculpting the ageing stone of Ennui over 250 years into an idealised caricature of France with both the quaintness of its narrow alleys and grandeur of its ancient cathedrals. The first story is a travelogue of the grittier parts of Ennui by The Cycling Reporter (Owen Wilson) who reads his article to the camera while touring the cobbled streets of the old city.
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“… this movie is actually three things: a collection of short stories, something I’ve always wanted to do a movie inspired by The New Yorker and the kind of writer they’re famous for publishing and, I’ve spent a lot of time in France over the years and I’ve always wanted to do a French movie, and a movie that was related to French cinema.” Anderson has been a regular reader of The New Yorker since 10th grade, and has described the film as, among other things, a love letter to journalists: The magazine is clearly inspired by The New Yorker, with Murray’s character based on both the magazine’s co-founder, Harold Ross, and his successor, William Shawn.
Each of the several stories that comprise the film is a re-enacted article from the magazine’s final edition. In the film, the staff of The French Dispatch, an American magazine based in the fictional 20th-century French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé, gather to write the obituary for the magazine’s beloved editor (played by Bill Murray).