6.7.23
Asteroid City offers visual schtick and striking colour schemes, but overall feels rather contrived and hollow. It’s full of “it’s that actor!” moments, which is fun in a novelty sense, but the film crucially lacks narrative impact. Wes Anderson as usual assembles an immensely talented cast, but the play-within-a-play construct feels more ambitious than interesting, and distances us from forming an emotional connection with what unfolds.
Whilst the premise of students at a 1950s space camp awards night has initial intrigue, and the retro production design surrounding it pleases the eye, the staging and story sequencing are jarring, flashing disjointedly between government bureaucracy, TV teleplay insertions, and a vast range of postmodernist devices. Overall, elements meant to draw us in instead feel like they hold viewers at arm’s length. I’ve heard others say this is the director at his most ‘Wes Anderson-ness’ which I do agree with; an observation that his recent films lack some of the warmth and charm compared to The Grand Budapest Hotel or Moonrise Kingdom, my two favourites of his.
With roles both big and small, stellar performers like Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie, and Adrien Brody leave barely a mark. Amidst the crowded canvas, only Jason Schwartzman registers a commanding performance in duel roles, succeeding in both ‘worlds’ as a widowed father and screenwriter scrambling to pull the TV show backstory together. Visually, the UFO arrival stands out as a confident spectacle, with its eerie aftermath and awesomely surreal Jeff Goldblum cameo making it particularly memorable.
While not without inspired moments, Asteroid City lacks the core emotions and coherence of Anderson’s best. I would have enjoyed it so much more without the black-and-white scenes and more time in the desert, but you have to give it to Wes for always pushing his creative tendencies. As a summer screening, it does pair well with Oppenheimer as two films about isolation set in the desert, and even Barbie as two colourful, postmodern fables. It doesn’t put me off the work of a remarkable auteur, and I’m intrigued to see what Anderson does in shorter form with his upcoming Netflix film later in
the year.