Here are reviews of the latest from Wes Anderson, a director who needs no introduction to cinephiles all over the world; and a review of Lauren Hardaway’s debut feature - one that has earned a lot of plaudits

The French Dispatch (Video on Demand) - A new Wes Anderson film is always eagerly anticipated by the coterie of hardcore cinephiles who pledge allegiance to his idiosyncratic and stylized filmmaking vision and look. So this is his latest, and as with most of his films, it also feels like a family reunion - Anderson is notorious for using the same pool of actors and actresses over and over. In this case, familiarity does not breed contempt, and it’s fun waiting for the first appearance of any member of the extended Anderson ‘famille’. The premise of this new outing is to pay an homage of sorts to publications such as the New Yorker, and delving into how such a publication is created, and how the publisher, writers, and story subjects, all collaborate to bring the issues to life on a regular basis.

The film is structured precisely, so it feels like we’re flipping through the pages of an issue, alighting on particular sections, and then taken on a journey of how that particular story came to be. While interesting conceptually, I’ll be the first to admit that this episodic quality means we’ll have our favorites. The interlude with Owen Wilson as a tourist on bicycle, is at most, a time-stretcher; while the more intriguing stories, such as the painter/mental patient (Benicio del Toro), whose muse is his asylum guard (Lea Seydoux), gets cut short when we were yearning for more. They’re all very precious stories; and his very stylized manner of shooting his films are still on vivid display - but unlike The Royal Tenenbaums or Grand Budapest Hotel, where the narrative was as involving as the visual ‘magic’, here, it’s more style carrying the film.

The Novice (Video on Demand) - Winner of Best US Narrative Feature Film in June at the Tribeca Film Festival, this debut film of Lauren Hardaway has also picked up a significant number of nominations for the upcoming Independent Spirit Awards in March. Set in the world of female collegiate rowing, it’s a film that’s part sports film, part psychological drama, and part coming of age, with special attention to wanting to belong, and being obsessive about it. As college freshman Alex Dall, Isabelle Fuhrman has been singled out for her harrowing depiction of a girl, who’s the sole novice on the varsity team, and out to prove herself in a manner that many would consider unhealthy, and indicative of dangerous OC behavior.

It’s the physical and psychological journey to make her mark that makes up the slight narrative of the film. But despite the shallow plot and character sketching, the film fascinates, and we stay riveted because of the stunning cinematography, the incisive editing, and how Hardaway has put her film together. At times, it may be reminiscent of Whiplash and Black Swan, given the crazy drive and obsessive behavior that our protagonist displays - the manner in which they self-isolate, attempt to mow down the opposition, and become single-minded ‘machines’. And here, it’s how Alex welcomes the punishment and physical toll that her behavior exacts on her body and psyche that becomes the painful aspect of watching this film. Hardaway is definitely a director to watch, and this may be her ‘calling card’ for now.