Review critiques Wes Anderson's 'The French Dispatch' as style over substance

Wes Anderson's 2021 film 'The French Dispatch' serves as a homage to The New Yorker magazine, featuring fictionalized versions of writers like Mavis Gallant and James Baldwin. The anthology film dramatizes four stories from a single issue of a fictional publication. Set in the imaginary French town Ennui-sur-Blasé, the narrative follows contributors to a Midwestern newspaper's European outpost. Anderson collaborated on a published anthology titled 'An Editor's Burial' to accompany the film's release. Critics note the movie's visual style includes animated sections mimicking The New Yorker's cartoon aesthetic and mock-up magazine covers. The film features an ensemble cast including Owen Wilson as a travel writer, Tilda Swinton as an art critic, Frances McDormand as a reporter, and Jeffrey Wright portraying a Baldwin-inspired character. Benicio del Toro appears as an incarcerated artist, while Timothée Chalamet has a cameo. Reviewers describe the film's aesthetic as prioritizing sophisticated tweeness over narrative depth, with particular attention to artful visual details like color palettes and period props. The director's personal collection of New Yorker back issues informed the project. Some critics find the whimsical tone excessive compared to Anderson's earlier work like 1998's 'Rushmore'.