Wes Anderson

Spectacular stop-motion animation from Wes Anderson. It's witty, it's classy, it's funny and it looks smashing. There's so much attention to detail, so many different kind of gags and it's all executed so well. Just a smidgen too long, apart from that it's near-perfect.

There are so many priceless moments, so many memorable scenes, and plenty of amazing details that make the film that much better. The Grand Budapest Hotel is Anderson at his very best.

If you like (stop-motion) animation this film is a definite recommendation. The animation itself could've been better, but the whole setting is just too much fun to pass on.

I wouldn't really call it a return to form for Wes Anderson, but it's definitely a return to normalcy. No messy anthology structures, no stop-motion weirdness, just a simple narrative elevated by Anderson's witty comedy and detailed styling. As such, it's not one of his most remarkable films, but it sure is a blast to sit through. The cast is tremendous, the use of color is magnificent, the soundtrack is perfectly in line with the visuals and the comedy is pleasant, but with a cheeky dark streak. I'm not surprised Anderson managed to pull this off flawlessly, he's done so before, it's just that I don't mind when it's so skillfully executed. A lovely film.

This feels like the last film in a cycle. The French Dispatch is pure, unfiltered Wes Anderson, probably at his most aesthetic and precise. At the same time, it's difficult to image what else Anderson can do with this style, as it did get a little repetitive over time. The insane pacing and different stories eat up a lot of energy, still, by the end it felt like Anderson didn't bring quite enough. It's a pretty uneven film that starts to fray once you look too closely at individual elements, on the other hand there's no one else like Anderson and the film is full-on cinematic fun. Not his best work, but if you love Anderson, it's almost impossible not to love this film.

The best (and longest) of the four new Wes Anderson shorts that are based on the work of Roald Dahl. These are cute little stories, executed in a very peculiar (and similar way), pretty much in line with Anderson's other films. They do feel like a bit like filler though, which is why they can't really compete with his feature-length films.