A Wes Anderson movie is always an event – and we’ve had to wait longer than usual for his latest, ‘The French Dispatch’. Originally scheduled to debut at Cannes last year, it eventually arrived a year later and, after screening at last week’s London Film Festival, it hits UK cinemas on Friday.
If you thought nothing happened in the French provincial town of Ennui sur Blasé, you’d be wrong. It’s the outpost of an American newspaper where its group of intrepid journalists compiled a monthly magazine – a publication packed with features delving into the minutiae and eccentricities of French life. The politics, the food, the people and the culture all come under their respective microscopes and the film handpicks a series of chapters, all telling a different story. From a student rebellion to a remarkable chef and an extraordinary artist who is also a convicted criminal, the film is full of the details and sharp wit that have become Anderson’s trademark.
One of the major players in the story about the artist is Lea Seydoux (also in cinemas in ‘No Time To Die’), who plays his muse. Now a regular amongst Anderson’s ever-expanding repertory company of actors, she recalls how he approached her about the role several years ago – and how there could only be one answer. And she talks about how, despite the precision of his visuals, he allows his actors to express things in their own way.
‘The French Dispatch’ is released in cinemas on 18 October.
