This was something of a surprise for me. Watched on a lazy afternoon because it was on. The story chugs along at an agreeable pace, though the dialogue lacks a bit. There are moments of serene beauty, and a well articulated sense of destiny, of sitting on the edge of history. I’m glad I didn’t dismiss this one.

Wes Anderson is a filmmaker whose missteps are still enjoyable to watch. His bespoke style comes through every outing, but he always seems to push himself just a bit out of his comfort zone. Isle of Dogs appears to be an attempt at grappling with some large political issues. It mostly gets there.

Noticed this time: how brilliant the editing.

This film is total trash. As in trashy. As in it certainly has a place. Mostly it’s just disjointed, never really committing to a central character/narrative. So some of the drama ends up being laughable. The whole theater chuckled through the climax.

All that said, Emily Blunt is incredible. I’m so glad films like this, that let her bring out that performance, exist.