An Anderson movie -need I say more?
The glimpses that we have had of The French Dispatch through posters and a trailer, reflect the notable “Anderson-traits”. One of them has to be that remarkable tint of yellow. A viewer of Wes Anderson‘s movies is not alien to the brightly colored setting of his films. The strikingly vibrant impact characteristic of The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel is also not absent. The so-familiar color tone is what makes these films notably Anderson‘s. Moreover, the abundance of vibrant styles, costumes, hairdos, and makeup contribute to the establishment of his signature style.
The trailer is also reflective of the sheer child-like thrill characteristic of his movies. The brilliant portrayal of adventurous quests that the characters undertake is majorly what keeps us viewers glued to his movies.
What caused the delay of The French Dispatch?
For those of us who could afford to stay indoors during the lockdown, The French Dispatch would have been nothing less than a gift, had it seen its release prior to the scheduled date. The film was set for screening on May 12th of the year 2020. No more mysteries now -it got delayed due to obvious reasons. The coronavirus pandemic also delayed the second screening of the film, scheduled for July of 2021.
A brief summary of what appears to be The French Dispatch
When asked in an interview what the story is about, Anderson only remarked that “it is a love letter to journalists set at an outpost of an American newspaper in 20th century Paris.” Anderson is one of those directors who does not prefer advertising in the midst of a shooting. He also chose a quiet place as ideal for the shooting. Thus, it is not possible to lay down the whole story at the moment. However, apparently, we know that the plot consists of three interconnected stories. “The story is not easy to explain,” Anderson exclaimed. Journalism apparently seems to be a major theme here.
The French Dispatch‘s spectacular cast
To talk of a cast, perhaps no Wes Anderson movie is complete without Owen Wilson. Apart from starting their cinematic journey together, they are inseparable like Song Kang-ho and Bong Joon-ho, or Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese. Wilson plays a character called Herbsaint Sazerac here. Named after the drink formerly called Absinthe, we can concur that he portrays a journalist, from the camera dangling by his neck. Tilda Swinton, who made her debut as an Anderson collaborator in the Moonrise Kingdom(2012), also appears here as a character named J.K.L. Berensen. The renowned protagonist of The Pianist(2002), Adrien Brody also shows up as an art dealer called Julien Cadazio. Modeled after a real-life British art dealer called Joseph Duveen, his character shares a parallel with Dmitri from The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Also making her debut as an Anderson collaborator in Moonrise Kingdom, Frances McDormand portrays Lucinda Keremetz in this movie. Saoirse Ronan appears briefly in the trailer.
Her often co-star, Timothée Chalamet adorns most of the promotional pictures of The French Dispatch, with a fashionable hairdo and a cigarette in mouth. He plays the character of a highly politically inclined student activist named Zeffirelli.
Benicio del Toro portrays the outlawed artist Moses Rosentha, who follows his passion for painting while locked in a prison cell. Lastly, Bill Murray portrays the real-life American journalist Harold Ross(1892-1951), who co-founded The New Yorker magazine in 1925.
When can we expect it?
The film has already witnessed postponement twice due to the pandemic. The restriction on gatherings had the film pulled out from an official screening. However, high hopes and an added pressure of anticipation remain. The film, as of now, is scheduled for release in October of this year i.e. 2021.
The French Dispatch was headed for a screening at the Cannes Film Festival this year. It received a standing ovation of 9 minutes at the festival, which happened only yesterday.
