The French Dispatch

The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson, 2021)

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Rating: Q=7, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Newspaper, Writing, 1960s, Art, Politics, Crime

I had somehow missed Wes Anderson's 2021 film, who knows why, but I finally watched it after seeing the newest piece Asteroid City. The French Dispatch is a collection of vignettes (another film that has stories within stories) but all of them are quirky and funny and overly-dramatic. There are some fantastic performances from Timothee Chalamet, Benicio Del Toro, and Lea Seydoux (and many others). While I liked the film and truly enjoyed the concepts and aesthetic, as always, this one wasn't as captivating for me as some of the others. I'm not sure why, perhaps because it was three independent stories... nevertheless, it is beautiful filmmaking and worth watching!

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (James Mangold, 2023)

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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Indiana Jones, Adventure, 1960s, Archaeology, History, Time Travel

The last Indiana Jones film? Well, if it is this is a lovely way to finish the saga. I went in expecting nothing special and was pleasantly surprised by the action, concepts, and the nostalgia. I wasn't thrilled with the main female character--Phoebe Waller-Bridge performed well, I just didn't like the character. I was also hoping for more Marion and Sallah but what we got was very appreciated. There are some interesting ideas in this story and the setting works. Mads Mikkelsen is brilliant (he's so good at being evil) and I was fully immersed in the action and adventure. A great escape.

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