The French Dispatch (soundtrack)

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The music to the 2021 anthology comedy drama film The French Dispatch directed by Wes Anderson features of a score composed by Alexandre Desplat, and selections of French classical and pop hits curated by the music supervisor Randall Poster, who were Anderson's regular collaborators. The score was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, featured contributions from pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, collaborated with Desplat on wide range of instruments and orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The score album, The French Dispatch: Original Score released on May 21, 2021, five months ahead of the film's release, and the soundtrack, The French Dispatch: Original Soundtrack was released along with the film, on October 22, 2021,[1][2] which preceded with the lead single "Obituary" from Desplat's score, released on September 14.[3] Both the albums were distributed by ABKCO Records. Desplat received a BAFTA Award for Best Original Music and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

Development[edit]

Even before the production began, Anderson sent the film's script to Desplat and Poster to design the sonic palette. Desplat recalled it as:[4][5]

"When I read the script I always try to find what is behind the virtuality of words, the virtuality of the camera moves, and production design and costumes. There's humor, a lot of humor, there's a great craft, but the stories are very deep. But this depth is always a bit blurred and out of focus. Because maybe he [Anderson] wants to protect his emotions. He doesn't show them too much. But all the subjects he shows in his films are very deep and moving. He shows it through poetry, a lot of poetry, and 'Dispatch' has a lot of that."[4]

Desplat, while writing music, would play his sketches to Anderson where he would give the notes and thereby he would explore and elaborate those ideas, repeating the process back and forth until they found a direction that felt right for the film.[6] Since the film was further set in France, he also had an advantage of being a hometown-based as well as his history related to scoring several French films.[7][8] Desplat also admitted that "What is beautiful in this film is that it's a real homage to Wes from French culture. We know he's living part-time in Paris. But for true love of French culture: literature, music, cuisine —  he likes French cuisine. The movie shows that too." He further drew inspiration from French composers Erik Satie and Thelonious Monk.

Desplat scored the opening sequence and two of the episodes in the film: "The Concrete Masterpiece" and "The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner". On scoring the film, he explained it as "a handful of people at a newspaper in the past, a little place, like a postcard from the 1960s" which demonstrated that the score should not be lush and huge, but instead sparse and clear. To achieve this, he collaborated with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet whom previously worked on Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) to perform solo piano for the film.[9] They would later collaborate on unusual duets of the score, that had an offbeat collection of instruments such as harpischord, banjo, tuba, timpani, bassoon among varied instruments.[9] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Desplat would record his parts with Thibaudet on Los Angeles, while the orchestra performed the score at Abbey Road Studios in London.[10][11]

As for the songs featured in the film, Poster felt that they were focusing on French music, using Charles Aznavour ballad "J'en déduis que je t'aime" and remake of the French hit "Aline" (1965) performed by Jarvis Cocker (who was cast as Tip-Top), played in the episode "Revisions to a Manifesto". Poster and Anderson admired the original song over the years, and while recording the cover, he described it as a "fun" process.[9] He felt the song was so "distinctive" where in other countries, the presence of this song was rare, while in France, "it was almost like a national anthem" due to Christophe's contribution.[6]

Cocker felt it to "be kind of sincere love letter to French pop music and did not want it to be in any way kind of a pastiche-type thing. And that also meant that I had to work on my French pronunciation and stuff like that. So that to a French person listening to it, they wouldn't listen and think, 'Oh, that's disrespectful' or 'That just doesn't make sense'." Though he had a profound background in France, his spoken French was considered "pretty atrocious". Hence, he undertook vocal coaching from Stereolab frontman Lætitia Sadier to understand the pronunciation of the language; in addition to this, Sadier performed a duet on "Paroles, paroles" and translated Nino Ferrer's English song "Looking for You" into a French version titled "Amour, Je Te Cherche".[6]

Track listing[edit]

The French Dispatch: Original Score[edit]

The French Dispatch: Original Score
Soundtrack album by
Alexandre Desplat
ReleasedMay 21, 2021 (2021-05-21)
Recorded2020–2021
StudioAbbey Road Studios, London
GenreFilm score
Length30:47
LabelABKCO
Producer
Alexandre Desplat chronology
The Midnight Sky (Music from the Netflix Film)
(2020) 		The French Dispatch: Original Score
(2021) 		The Outfit: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(2022)
No.TitleLength
1."Obituary"3:30
2."Simone, Naked, Cell Block J. Hobby Room"2:54
3."Moses Rosenthaler"2:29
4."Mouthwash de Menthe"1:56
5."Cadazio Uncles and Nephew Gallery"1:56
6."The Berensen Lectures at the Clampette Collection"1:51
7."Police Cooking"1:49
8."The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner"5:10
9."Kidnappers Lair"2:01
10."A Multi-Pronged Battle Plan"1:37
11."Blackbird Pie"0:53
12."Commandos, Guerillas, Snipers, Climbers and the Jeroboam"0:52
13."Animated Car Chase"1:52
14."Lt. Nescaffier (Seeking Something Missing...)"1:55

The French Dispatch: Original Soundtrack[edit]

The French Dispatch: Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedOctober 22, 2021 (2021-10-22)
GenreFilm soundtrack
Length61:05
LabelABKCO
Producer
Wes Anderson film soundtracks chronology
Isle of Dogs: Original Soundtrack
(2018) 		The French Dispatch: Original Soundtrack
(2021) 		Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack)
(2023)
Singles from The French Dispatch: Original Soundtrack
  1. "Obituary"
    Released: September 14, 2021
No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Obituary"Alexandre Desplat3:30
2."After You've Gone" (from Sadie McKee)Gene Austin with Candy and Coco1:07
3."Simone, Naked, Cell Block J. Hobby Room"Desplat2:54
4."Fiasco"Gus Viseur2:58
5."Moses Rosenthaler"Desplat2:29
6."I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)"Grace Jones4:30
7."Mouthwash de Menthe"Desplat1:56
8."Sonata for Mandolin and Guitar A-Dur, K. 331 Andante Grazioso con Variation VI. Variation 5 – Adagio"Boris Björn Bagger and Detlef Tewes3:34
9."Cadazio Uncles and Nephew Gallery"Desplat1:56
10."Inseguimento al Taxi (The Chase)" (from Scent of Mystery)Mario Nascimbene2:40
11."The Berensen Lectures at the Clampette Collection"Desplat1:51
12."L'ultima volta" (from I malamondo [it])Ennio Morricone2:34
13."Tu m'as trop menti"Chantal Goya1:47
14."J'en déduis que je t'aime"Charles Aznavour3:05
15."Fugue No. 2 in C minor (The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, BWV 871)"The Swingle Singers1:19
16."Adagio" (from Comptes à rebours [fr])Georges Delerue3:13
17."Police Cooking"Desplat1:49
18."The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner"Desplat5:10
19."Kidnappers Lair"Desplat2:01
20."A Multi-Pronged Battle Plan"Desplat1:37
21."Blackbird Pie"Desplat0:53
22."Commandos, Guerillas, Snipers, Climbers and the Jeroboam"Desplat0:52
23."Animated Car Chase"Desplat1:52
24."Lt. Nescaffier (Seeking Something Missing...)"Desplat1:56
25."Aline"Jarvis Cocker3:32

Reception[edit]

Music critic Jonathan Broxton described the score as "an overload of whimsy, a landslide of musical hipsterism that buries you in a pile of twee from which there is no escape".[12] James Southall of Movie Wave wrote "the best way of experiencing the score is to do so in sequence, but the album scatters in an array of songs and orchestral pieces – it's all good stuff, but focusing on the Desplat is rewarding".[13] Marcy Donelson of AllMusic complimented it as a "lean, jaunty chamber music score".[14] A. O. Scott of The New York Times described the score as "playful and knowing".[15] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Desplat's "doodling piano themes help shape the jaunty tone".[16] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post complimented the score as "delicately thoughtful" which benefits the film.[17] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal described it as "funny".[18]

Accolades[edit]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
British Academy Film Awards March 13, 2022 Best Original Score Alexandre Desplat Nominated [19]
Chicago Film Critics Association December 15, 2021 Best Original Score Nominated [20]
[21]
Florida Film Critics Circle December 22, 2021 Best Score Nominated [22]
[23]
Golden Globe Awards January 9, 2022 Best Original Score Nominated [24]
Hollywood Critics Association February 28, 2022 Best Score Nominated [25]
[26]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 17, 2021 Best Original Score in a Feature Film Nominated [27]
Houston Film Critics Society January 19, 2022 Best Original Score Nominated [28]
[29]
International Film Music Critics Association Awards February 17, 2022 Best Original Score for a Comedy Film Nominated [30]
Online Film Critics Society January 24, 2022 Best Original Score Nominated [31]
[32]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle January 10, 2022 Best Original Score Nominated [33]
Satellite Awards April 2, 2022 Best Original Score Nominated [34]
Seattle Film Critics Society January 17, 2022 Best Original Score Nominated [35]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 6, 2021 Best Score Nominated [36]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The French Dispatch (Original Soundtrack) Featuring Oscar™ Winning Composer Alexandre Desplat To Be Released On October 22 In Conjunction With Theatrical Release". ABKCO Records. September 14, 2021. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "The French Dispatch (Original Soundtrack) by Alexandre Desplat on Apple Music". Apple Music. May 21, 2021. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  3. ^ The French Dispatch [@french_dispatch] (September 14, 2021). "The soundtrack to the new Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch, featuring original score by Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat, is now available to pre-order. Listen to the first single "Obituary" by Alexandre Desplat now!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ a b Rosen, Christopher (November 21, 2021). "'The French Dispatch' composer Alexandre Desplat on his longtime collaboration with Wes Anderson". GoldDerby. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  5. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (June 23, 2020). "Alexandre Desplat Previews 'Strange' Score to Wes Anderson's 'The French Dispatch'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Olsen, Mark (October 22, 2021). "Defining 'Andersonian': Inside the music of Wes Anderson's 'The French Dispatch'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  7. ^ Ehrlich, David (May 21, 2020). "Alexandre Desplat on Wes Anderson's Amazing 'French Dispatch' and del Toro's Musical 'Pinocchio'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  8. ^ "The French Dispatch: Alexandre Desplat on Wes Anderson's Epic Movie". Collider. May 21, 2020. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Burlingame, Jon (October 23, 2021). "'French Dispatch' Music: Alexandre Desplat and Randall Poster on a Soundtrack Ranging From Classical Piano to Jarvis Cocker". Variety. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  10. ^ Hazelton, John (January 21, 2022). "Banjos and bassoons: how 'The French Dispatch' composer Alexandre Desplat collaborates with Wes Anderson". Screen. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  11. ^ Hart, Hugh (November 16, 2021). "How Composer Alexandre Desplat Put a "Dada-istic" Spin on "The French Dispatch"". Motion Picture Association. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  12. ^ "THE FRENCH DISPATCH – Alexandre Desplat". MOVIE MUSIC UK. November 9, 2021. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  13. ^ Southall, James (November 28, 2021). "The French Dispatch". Movie Wave. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Review: The French Dispatch [Original Score]". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Scott, A. O. (October 20, 2021). "'The French Dispatch' Review: Remember Magazines?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  16. ^ Rooney, David (July 12, 2021). "Wes Anderson's 'The French Dispatch': Film Review | Cannes 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  17. ^ Hornaday, Ann (October 19, 2021). "'The French Dispatch' is pretty and playful but with little genuine curiosity". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  18. ^ Morgenstern, Joe (October 21, 2021). "'The French Dispatch' Review: Not Worth a Detour". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  19. ^ Ritman, Alex; Szalai, Georg (March 13, 2022). "BAFTA Awards: 'Power of the Dog' Wins Best Film, Director, 'Dune' Dominates Crafts". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  20. ^ Jevens, Darel (December 15, 2021). "Chicago film critics choose The Power of the Dog for top award". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  21. ^ "Steven Spielberg's West Side Story Leads Chicago Film Critics Association 2021 Award Nominations". Chicago Film Critics Association. December 13, 2021. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  22. ^ "Florida Film Critics Circle Announces 2021 Winners". Florida Film Critics Circle. December 22, 2021. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  23. ^ "2021 FFCC Nominations". Florida Film Critics Circle. December 17, 2021. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  24. ^ Respers, Lisa (December 13, 2021). "Golden Globes 2022: See the list of nominees". CNN. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "Dune, Coda, and Belfast Lead the 5th Annual HCA Film Awards Nominations". Hollywood Critics Association. December 2, 2021. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  26. ^ "The 5th Annual HCA Film Awards Ceremony Moves To Monday, February 28, 2022, Due To Rising COVID Concerns". Hollywood Critics Association. December 21, 2021. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  27. ^ "2021 Music in Visual Media Nominations". Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  28. ^ Vonder Haar, Peter (January 4, 2022). "The Power Of The Dog Is Compelling Enough To Lead The 2021 Houston Film Critics Society Nominations". Houston Press. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  29. ^ Vonder Haar, Peter (January 20, 2022). "Houston Film Critics Society Announces Their 15th Annual Award Winners". Houston Press. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  30. ^ "IFMCA Award Nominations 2021". International Film Music Critics Association. February 3, 2022. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  31. ^ "2021 Awards (25th Annual)". Online Film Critics Society. January 19, 2022. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  32. ^ "OFCS Presents: 25th Annual Nominations for 2021". Online Film Critics Society. January 18, 2022. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  33. ^ "SFBAFCC 2021 Awards". San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  34. ^ "2021 Nominees". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  35. ^ "The Power of the Dog Leads the 2021 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics Society. January 10, 2022. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  36. ^ "Belfast Finds Everlasting Love with WAFCA Critics" (PDF). Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. December 6, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
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