Watched June 15, 2023
So, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a press screening of the new Wes Anderson movie "Asteroid City" and I have to say that this is a step up from his previous film "The French Dispatch" and probably ranks within my top 5 of my favorite Wes Anderson movies. It has everything you are looking for in a Wes Anderson movie, great craftmanship, an interesting story and a star-studded ensemble cast. Like most Wes Anderson movies this one may divide audiences, but I believe that most will enjoy his latest installment.
So, as many of you know Wes Anderson is a well-known director and has made many films such as "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox". He has surprised and entertained his audience for years and has created films that expand cinema as a whole. This movie takes place in 1955 in a small town in the West called Asteroid City. Every year there is a Junior Stargazer program that brings parents and students together, but things change when there is an arrival of an alien presence. After this event happens it leaves the group to ask a lot of questions about what it all means. In the midst of all of this we learn that the Steenbeck's lost their mother and Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) lost his wife. This movie explores a lot of different themes that we have not seen in a while from Wes Anderson. It explores these profound thoughts about "the meaning of life" and "our place within the universe." It touches on themes of grief and thoughts that may go through many minds about the meaning of life. Each of these thoughts are perfectly displayed by the characters and you get emotionally attached to them, or at least I did. All of these things create thematic layers that lead to an emotional and profound story.
This film, like many of Wes Anderson's has a star-studded cast that brings this story to life. The cast includes the likes of Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Jack Ryan and more. Each of the cast members play a critical role in whether or not you connect with the many characters in this movie. When I saw the film, I really connected with most of the cast and bought in to the emotions and the questions that were being asked. But many reviews that I have seen say that they could not connect with the characters at all. Jason Schwartzman is definitely the standout here in my opinion. He is the lead, and he leads this movie and delivers some very impactful lines. Since this is such a large cast, I'll go through some of the performances I liked. Jeffery Wright also delivers some great lines, and there are a few moments that really stand-out. He also delivers some comedic lines and does really well reciting Wes Anderson's dialogue. Tom Hanks really does not have a huge role, but he plays his character well. Scarlett Johansson also plays her role really well. She delivers some great comedic lines as well and the chemistry between Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson is really good. Some notable mentions are Margot Robbie who really only has one scene, and Jeff Goldblum who really only shows up for a cameo. So, if you were looking to see more of Robbie or Goldblum you may be disappointed. But I do believe that each of these performances are really well done and fit with the overall style and emotion that Wes Anderson was going for. You also get the style of Wes Anderson that many fans of his enjoy. Beautiful camerawork, great production design, and inspiring score by Alexandre Desplat add to the film. Even if you do not personally care for the film, you can probably acknowledge that the film is crafted beautifully.
Overall, this film is definitely not a top-tier Wes Anderson movie for me, but this is definitely one of his better films. The stunning visuals, along with an excellent profound story makes for an interesting movie that audiences may enjoy. This movie is probably not accessible for someone who has never watched a Wes Anderson movie before. But for people, like me, who really enjoy most of his films, this film is really solid. Many may think that this may be Wes Anderson's best movie and others may disagree entirely and this it's his worst. Wes Anderson like many arthouse filmmakers take chances and explore their vision and want to tell stories that interest them. "Beau is Afraid" and "Babylon" are films that are perfect examples. Both of those films were big swings for the directors, but they were films that were unique, and explored the directors storytelling and vision capabilities. "Asteroid City" is the same and I believe that this film is a great step in cementing the legacy of Wes Anderson as a great filmmaker.
Review: 4/5 Stars
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