The French Dispatch

Locations
Call Number: Blu-ray Comedy French
On Shelf At: Malletts Creek Branch, Pittsfield Branch, Westgate Branch

Title from sell sheet.
Originally released as a motion picture in 2021.
Wide screen (1.85:1).
Timothee Chalamet, Lea Seydoux, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Elizabeth Moss, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Owen Wilson, Christopher Waltz, Benicio Del Toro, Frances McDormand, Liev Schreiber, Anjelica Huston, Saoirse Ronan, Jeffrey Wright, Rupert Friend.
A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in 'The French Dispatch.'
Blu-ray, wide screen (1.85:1); DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby digital 5.1, DVS 2.0; requires Blu-ray player.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

So much to see submitted by brooksza on July 25, 2022, 4:19pm I liked this but it was quite overwhelming to me. Every frame has SO much going on. Visually it's impressively creative. I have no idea how you make something like this. But I felt like the style took away from the substance. I'm sure this is a movie that would reward multiple rewatches. The writing was also very clever at times but I always felt like I was missing a half dozen other things. Even the closing credits are way too much on screen to take in.

I really like the parallels/connections between the three main stories and the epilogue. There's an appreciation for many different types of creative passions.

I did like this, but I feel like I probably picked up about 30% of it. A can't look away movie though.

lovely and entertaining submitted by zaraz on August 2, 2022, 1:50am this is arguably the most Wes Anderson-y Wes Anderson movie I've ever seen. each frame is beautiful and there is so much detail, it's as if a storybook came to life. clever writing and great performances, I especially loved Frances McDormand and Timothée Chalamet's storyline. definitely a film to rewatch because you catch so many little details the second (or third) time around.

fantastically unique artistry, truly a masterpiece! submitted by pmheard on June 1, 2023, 12:02pm wow! this was an absolute hit for me, which is shocking. it seems that i am slowly but surely being charmed by anderson’s filmmaking and i’m not mad about it.

i have so much to say about this film, so much so my brain is actually failing to come up with the proper words (it’s past my bedtime to be fair). what will come below is a jumble of my sleepy thoughts, so bear with me.

the film is beautiful, first of all. a large portion of it is portrayed in black and white with colorful frames peeking through exclusively via brief present-day revivals or euphoric retrievals. it’s used artfully and truly produces a shocking, awe-spiring reaction, at least for myself. this choice pairs excellently with the form of storytelling here, an anthology of the french dispatch of the liberty, kansas evening sun. my most favorite of the stories was the concrete masterpiece. i could talk endlessly about the themes of nihilism, love, passion, and consumerism here but i’ll spare the rant for another poor soul. what’s important is that each story is just like this, boasting fast-paced thematic narratives, packed with preachings and symbolism which are laced with an air of chaos and ironic pretension. i simply couldn’t get enough. the soundtrack is equally excellent and adds to the overall ambience. cinematographically, i think most people are aware of anderson’s unique style. that shines through here especially well. the grand budapest hotel was beautiful, but the framing felt rushed and unintentional, while here, each scene was truly breathtaking and purposeful. the symmetry and balance he’s able to achieve, with and without color is simply impressive and i haven’t seen another director do it like this. truly, truly a masterfully crafted film all around. some will surely have arguments about the storyline itself and its subjective coherence, but that’s the beauty about film and media to me, no one ever really has the same perception or experience of these things and the difference of opinion makes it fun!

overall, it’s unusual for a film to truly captivate me, but this was a rarity! would watch 1000x and never take my eyes off the screen

If it’s from Wes Anderson submitted by jrpolaczyk on July 16, 2023, 9:00am Get it!!! He’s a great director with an eye for art.