 The French Dispatch (2021) Tamil Dubbed (Voice Over) & English [Dual Audio] CAMRip 720p [1XBET]

At some point I would love to read (or write, but it would be more preferable to leave it to those more informed than I; namely, anyone else) an essay on the phenomenon of artistic self-parody – likely observable in most forms, but particularly present within film. Regularly do auteurs reach a point of such notoriety and acclaim that they resort to attempting to recapture their earlier work, shaping their newer projects to suit the public or critical perception of what their films “should” be. The result is often an ungainly amalgam of all the artist’s trademarks, overtly portentous in its conceit as some sort of magnum opus. The examples are numerous: Lynch’s Inland Empire, Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia, even Nolan’s Tenet. Wes Anderson has reached this inevitable step with his latest, The French Dispatch. As such, viewers are likely to be polarised between smitten awe at his generous display of stylistic idiosyncrasies (black-and-white, colour, animation, changing aspect ratios, dynamic camerawork, perfectly symmetrical staging, aggressively witty dialogue, et al), or utterly disenfranchised at the sight of this mechanical recitation of his defining tropes. I fall largely into the former category, albeit occasionally off-put by the usual issues that come with anthology films (viz. Superior segments highlighting weaknesses of others, lack of overarching purpose, difficulty to establish an emotional through-line, etc.; though many of these don’t apply here, or at least not entirely, and the palpable craft and detail on display won me over on second viewing just as effectively as the first.) All this to say that The French Dispatch is Wes Anderson doing Wes Anderson, a wonderful thing if one is a fan of Wes Anderson. The fact that I struggle to pick a favourite segment is a positive sign (perhaps the first story, if only for my deep love of Tilda Swinton), and the entire runtime is just gorgeous shot after gorgeous shot, the cast listing overflowing with star talent, the score delightful throughout, the dialogue suitably charming, and pacing frantic enough that repeat watches allow for new jokes to be uncovered. Wall-to-wall with references, most of which I did not get as someone unfamiliar with the French New Wave, yet I can’t help but smile even when it is clear he is writing well over my head. Perhaps lacks the sentimental counter-balance of e.g. Fantastic Mr. Fox (for the most part; each section ends with a moment that affected me in some respect – the longing final look between an artist and his muse, the elegy for a young rebel and his naïve cause, the reflections of a chef after tasting poison, and the last scene) but still a blast from start to finish. Currently my film of the year.