It’s been an interesting couple of days. The weather rhymes with the mood, alternating between heavy rain and sweltering heat. You take the good, you take the bad, or something like that. The good persists, but you feel the bad more intensely at the time.
My side gig is coming to an end. It wasn’t a paying side gig until recently; even then, it would be a stretch to call it “professional.” Nonetheless, it’s something which has occupied me for five years now and I’ve always enjoyed it. As is often the case, it wasn’t personal. It was business, at least to the people who were in charge.
It hurts more than I expected it to. I assumed I would just walk away at some point but the thing would continue without me. I’ve read accounts of similar situations in all manner of arts and entertainments, but I didn’t really understand the sadness that comes with folding up the board, putting away the pieces, and closing the box until yesterday. It was good for five years, though. That’s a good run, and I’m thankful for it.
Sunday night, Nicole picked out The French Dispatch for us to watch. It was really more for me than for her as her selections usually are. I am a fan of Wes Anderson’s work and always have been, but there are times when my fandom is difficult. I didn’t get The Grand Budapest Hotel at all even though I wanted to. There are times when the critics are correct and Anderson’s directorial tics approach self-parody.
That was not the case with The French Dispatch. That isn’t to say that it isn’t a quintessential Wes Anderson film because it displays all of his mannerisms in abundance. The framing, the color palette, the tracking shots, and the David Byrne-meets-Michel-Gondry magical realism are all present. But, this is a much grander thing than we’ve previously seen from him. It’s been described as a “love letter to The New Yorker,” and it is certainly that, but it has the manic energy of the most meticulous stage production ever created.
So yes, it’s a difficult film to describe. The stories (it’s an anthology) are beside the point; this film is all about how those stories are told.* The screen is often filled with so much, so many things happening at once, and not one of them is left to chance (it is Anderson, after all), that it’s not possible to take it all in at once. IMDb lists 363 cast members, all of whom are in motion except when none of them are during extended tracking shots that must have been a nightmare to produce.
Every Wes Anderson film is a Wes Anderson film, which seems obvious until you try the same equation with George Miller. But, this is a bigger, more ambitious film than Anderson has ever wrangled. I loved it, and I loved watching it which is slightly different. I suspect your reaction will depend entirely on how you feel about Wes Anderson as this is the most Wes Anderson he’s ever been, and to me that’s a good thing.
Last week, a discussion between one of my Twitter friends, Julie Brown, and I resulted in my wistfully recalling my long-lost copy of Miss Brown’s “Goddess In Progress” E.P. She said it was available on her site and, while it was sold out, there was a more-than-acceptable alternative:
This is absolutely terrific, and Julie’s remains the force of nature she always was. I haven’t worked out the appropriate way to display this treasure, but it deserves better than sitting on the shelf where the rest of my CDs would be if I had any others.
I referenced a thing that Nicole was working on a while back. I am sad to report that the “thing” is on hold, and I am the cause. I’ve been irresponsible…more accurately, I’ve been responsible only sporadically…and some financial problems from years ago have prevented us from moving aggressively to turn her idea into a reality. It will likely be 4-6 months before we can regroup and try again and I’m feeling the guilt.
I have to be vague. It’s a good enough idea that, if it were to somehow make it to the wrong eyes or ears, our opportunity would be lost. It is possible that, come early spring, we will be in a better position than we thought we were in now. But, it’s possible we’ll miss the chance and that would be heartbreaking.
That’s about it for now; thanks for checking in and take care of yourself.
-RK
Love you my friend.
Much love my man. Much Love. Hook them. Hook them very much.