Whether you’re a fan of actor Timothée Chalamet or director Wes Anderson, chances are that you’ve heard of their newly released movie: The French Dispatch. This film is Anderson’s latest project and features all kinds of iconic actors and actresses such as Bill Murray, Saoirise Ronan, Tilda Swinton, and Elizabeth Moss.

The story itself surrounds a newspaper company, called The French Dispatch, and its end due to the death of its editor, Arthus Howitzer Jr. However, before the company closes, it has decided to re-release three of its past and most famous stories. Thus, the film continues on to describe and retell these pieces.

The first story is centered around Moses Rosenthaler, an artist filled with both talent and distress who ends up in a prison for homicide. While there, he paints a modern piece of a female guard who he’s grown close with. This piece astonishes Julien Cadazio, an art dealer, who goes on to promote this artwork all over the country and as he does this, Moses himself gains popularity as people beg for more of his work. Then, just three years later, a group of people, along with Julien, bribe their way into the prison to view Moses’s new pieces, but things don’t go as expected. This “welcoming” visit just happens to end in a prison riot that leads to Moses’s release on probation.

The second story features the beloved actor Timothée Chalamet as Zeffirelli and his journey as a student protest leader in the streets of Ennui. He’s accompanied by French Dispatch writer Lucinda Krementz and fellow revolutionary Juliette. Lucinda follows Zeffirelli into his protests and reports on them, but is put to a stop when Zeffirelli meets a electrifying fate while attempting to repair a radio tower. 

The third and last story can be said to be the most chaotic out of the three, owing to its change from animated styles to real shots and its disorderly plotline.

It begins with the police force hosting a dinner and leads into the kidnapping of the Commissaire’s son by a group of criminals. The son, having been locked in a closet and held for ransom, sends a message through Morse code for someone to “send the cook.”This cook then proceeds to enter the prisoner’s hideout and provide them with what they believe is a tasty (and safe) dinner. In reality, the food has been poisoned and with the criminals now gone, the son attempts to escape, but is then kidnapped once again! A hectic car chase follows and ends with the Commmissaire finally getting his son back.

When it comes to the story, I didn’t totally understand it while I was watching the film this first time. It jumped from place to place rather quickly and it took a lot of attention in order to follow the plot. But that is what’s expected when it comes to Anderson’s films (which I am a big fan of) and so I wasn’t entirely disappointed or surprised.

The movie itself has very unique and beautiful cinematography that dazzles the viewer’s eyes. Anderson’s use of parallel structures and a consistent switch between black and white to color makes the story one that you can’t look away from. I myself was amazed by the effort put into each scene by both the actors and set creators.

So, overall, I would rate this movie a 7/10. I encourage anyone who enjoys eccentric and pleasing films, or just Timothée Chalamet, to go and give it a try!