Wes Anderson is currently considered one of the most eccentric directors. He is known for his love of symmetry, pastel colors and brilliant dialogues. All fans of his previous productions, in which these elements were present, will not be disappointed after the screening of “Asteroid City”, the action of which is also divided into several acts. And besides, it takes place on two levels – it turns out that the main story is actually a theatrical play, and apart from it, we can also observe what happened during its creation and behind the scenes of the theater.
Asteroid City. When the action takes place
In the opening scene of the film, we see a hunched writer (Edward Norton) poring over a typewriter to write his work as accurately as possible. His fate is told to us by the announcer in a classic black and white television program and it perfectly introduces us to the mood of those times and movies. This scene immediately reminded me of what is called the “worst” movie of all time, i.e. “Plan 9 from Outer Space” by the legendary Ed Wood, which premiered in 1959. Due to the setting of the action in similar times, the subject of UFOs, as well as the stylistics of some scenes.
I don’t want the comparison to this film to sound discouraging, because the very atmosphere of this type of production is extremely intriguing to me, and Anderson managed to create it and combine it with his somewhat theatrical style. Because the title town, created from mock-ups, is located in the middle of nowhere and looks as if life before the beginning of the whole story did not exist there at all.
Because in this godforsaken place, the only attractions are the giant meteor crater, which has existed since September 23, 3007 BC, and the nearby astronomical observatory. Therefore, an event is organized for which guests come to the city every year. It is an annual Asteroid Day combined with the “Junior Stargazer” scientific competition for talented youth.
In “Asteroid City” we have a whole spectrum of personalities that are united by a groundbreaking event
For this reason, war photographer Augie (Jason Szwatzman) comes to town with his four children – three daughters and one son, who is nominated in a plebiscite for young scientists. A man struggles with a big problem because he has to inform his children about the death of their mother. He’s constantly thinking about how to do it, and he’s trying to put it off all the time.
In a local bistro, he meets the mother of another talented kid – the American movie star Midge Campell (Scarlett Johansson), whose glory days are behind her. Soon these two will have something more in common than having children of a similar age, and all this will be accompanied by an event that no one expected. During the competition gala, an alien who looks like straight out of a B-movie will suddenly appear in front of all the gathered.
This unexpected phenomenon causes the town to be quarantined and everyone in Asteroid City must remain there until further notice. A close encounter of the third kind in the youngest only caused a greater desire to acquire knowledge, and their parents at this time begin to get to know each other better, and even go deeper into themselves, which allows them to see many things that they did not pay attention to before.
After watching this video, everyone will learn something about themselves
The whole story is interspersed with scenes with the characters who are actually responsible for this spectacle. At some point, we meet the art director (Adrien Brody), who realizes that he probably does not understand the point of the performance. Augie, who talks to him backstage, is of a similar opinion. Then the director says to him, “It doesn’t matter, just keep telling the story.” Because if it’s going well, why stop it? We do the same in life.
In the production, apart from Scarlett Johansson and Jason Szwatzman, we will also see a galaxy of other stars who have already appeared in Anderson’s productions many times. These include Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, and Jeff Goldblum. However, a big sensation before the premiere was also aroused by Tom Hanks’ performance in this film. This is the actor’s debut in Anderson’s production.
The film debuted in Polish cinemas on June 16 and it is a proposal that perfectly harmonizes with the beginning of the holidays. “Asteroid City” is a light cinema that, contrary to appearances, allows us to delve into the timeless dilemmas of life, and thanks to the rich spectrum of characters, each of us will be able to identify with one of the characters. The strength of Anderson’s production is also the unhurried atmosphere, which, combined with charming frames and gripping dialogues, makes you not want to take your eyes off it. No ears!
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
