Long in the making and highly anticipated, Wes Anderson’s latest film opened in competition in Cannes. If you were wondering what kept him so long, Anderson could be excused for his tardiness due to the incredible intricacy of every shot of his film. Unfortunately, The French Dispatch is not entirely worth the wait and while it is full to the hilt with stuff – so much stuff! – it sorely lacks any real substance.
The troupe of actors is a rogues’ gallery of Anderson stalwarts, with the likes of Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson putting in an appearance. These are just a handful of the stars gracing this intricate constellation, yet almost all of them are asked to do very little: when you have actors of the calibre of Elisabeth Moss, Christoph Waltz or Edward Norton, it would be nice to give them something to actually do.
Perhaps it’s because Anderson’s real focus is on the visuals, creating elaborate sets positively teeming with detail that are delight to the eye. Again, there is an issue here, for there is just too much to take in and some of these magnificent scenes last mere seconds before the viewer can take in even a small percentage of the details. However, this attention to the minutest of details – a button, a label on a jacket, a plate of food – is truly the principal pleasure of the film. It is a film that would warrant multiple viewings just to absorb those fleeting, marvellous images.