The French Dispatch is a 2021 anthology film (Image: Wes Anderson)
Three films from a beloved Oscar-winning director are now available on Netflix. Wes Anderson is an American filmmaker whose films are known for themes of grief, loss of innocence and dysfunctional families.
Anderson is renowned for his recurring troupe of actors and technical collaborators, often creating a repertory-company feel. His most frequent collaborators include Bill Murray (9 films), Jason Schwartzman (7+ films), and Owen Wilson (7+ films), as well as frequent appearances by Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, and Edward Norton.
One of his films now on Netflix is The Darjeeling Limited, a 2007 American comedy-drama that Anderson co-wrote with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman. The film stars Wilson, Brody, and Schwartzman. The plot follows three estranged brothers who agree to meet in India a year after their father’s funeral for a « spiritual journey » aboard a luxury train.
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The Grand Budapest Hotel is a 2014 comedy drama (Image: Wes Anderson)
Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus reads: « With the requisite combination of humour, sorrow, and outstanding visuals, The Darjeeling Limited will satisfy Wes Anderson fans. »
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, praising its Indian setting and noting that Anderson « uses India not in a touristy way, but as a backdrop that is very, very there.”
Chris Cabin of Filmcritic.com gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it Anderson’s « best work to date. »
The second of Anderson’s films coming to Netflix is The Grand Budapest Hotel, a 2014 comedy-drama written by Anderson. The seventeen-actor ensemble cast is led by Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H., concierge of a twentieth-century mountainside resort in the fictional country of Zubrowka.
After being framed for the murder of a wealthy dowager (Swinton), he and his recently befriended protégé Zero (Tony Revolori) embark on a quest for fortune and a priceless Renaissance painting amid the backdrop of an encroaching fascist regime.
It was nominated for nine awards at the 87th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning four, and received numerous other accolades. Since its release, The Grand Budapest Hotel has been assessed as one of the greatest films of the twenty-first century.
Many of the reviews complimented The Grand Budapest Hotel for its craftsmanship, often singling out Anderson’s outlandish humour and artistic expertise for further praise.
The Darjeeling Limited is a 2007 comedy drama (Image: Wes Anderson)
The third Anderson film coming to Netflix is The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (or simply The French Dispatch), a 2021 American anthology comedy drama written by Anderson from a story he conceived with Coppola, Hugo Guinness and Schwartzman.
It features an expansive ensemble cast and follows three different storylines as the French news bureau of the fictional Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun newspaper publishes its final issue.
Reviewers described it as a “loving ode to the spirit of journalism”. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film’s « hand-crafted visual delights and eccentric performances ».
He wrote: « While The French Dispatch might seem like an anthology of vignettes without a strong overarching theme, every moment is graced by Anderson’s love for the written word and the oddball characters who dedicate their professional lives to it. »
Other Wes Anderson films available on Netflix are The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More (2024).
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