Starring Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan and Jeff Goldblum. Written and directed by Wes Anderson, from a story by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.
Budget $25 million. Running time 105 minutes.
A group of people arrive at Asteroid City, built in the middle of the desert and with the population of 86. Some of them for the annual science fair, some, like war photographer Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schawartzman) and this three daughters and one son because their car has broken down, some like Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johnassan) a world weary actress, and some because they took too long during a coach stop toilet-break and missed the bus, together they all become embroiled in a government conspiracy to cover up a first contact meeting with an alien who steals the asteroid that Asteroid City is named after. Meanwhile, a TV program details the development of a stage play about the story that is about to unfold with the actors playing the characters they play in the real world. But what is real and what is not?
By god, if this isn't one of the best films I'll see this year then I'm in for some unknown treats!
Whether you like this or not depends on what you think of Wes Anderson. Me, I think he is an actual genius and I have LOVED all of his films save one, and even the one I didn't love, I didn't hate, just wasn't my cup of tea. His second film, Rushmore made me an instant convert (I only caught up with his first Bottle Rocket years later). The Royal Tennenbaums made me cry it was so glorious and the rest I've loved, no other director so delights me with his vision or passion or ingenuity. Across a career spanning 27 years Anderson has directed 11 films, two of which The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs were stop-motion animations, so his score card reads 10 for 11. Not bad at all!
Known for his meticulous eye for detail and his very precise vision style and camera work, there's no mistaking an Anderson movie. This film though is perhaps his first out-and-out comedy, although it's not a comedy in the vein of the usual Hollywood type, this is a clever, witty, thought-provoking comedy with precise acting and nuanced lines of dialogue, it's a film that captivates and delights in equal measure and it's one of those rare films that I would have happily rewatched the moment it had ended. I cannot wait to see this again and again and it now ranks as one of my favourite Wes Anderson movies, alongside Rushmore, Life Aquatic, The Tennenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, The Hotel Budapest, Isle of Dogs and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
The music, the look, the cinematography, the acting, the script everything about this film was an utter delight and I loved each and every second of it!
Although most definitely not for everyone, I still believe that this is this years most delightful and unique film without a doubt. 10/10
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