Asteroid City: Does It Make an Impact?

I haven't seen a ton of Wes Anderson movies but of the few I've seen (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs, and The French Dispatch) I've really liked them.  He has such a unique direction style and I love the sense of humor they have.   Back in 2018, I wanted to see Isle of Dogs, but there weren't any theaters close enough to me playing.  Asteroid City was the first one I was genuinely excited for.  I saw the trailer a few months back and was immediately interested.  It had all of the trademarks of a Wes Anderson humor: Style, color, humor, and a lot of symmetry.  Does it live up to the hype?   That's what I'm here to tell you.

Asteroid City is directed by Wes Anderson and stars Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jake Ryan, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, and Jeffrey Wright. Conrad Earp (Norton) who is working on a play called Asteroid City. It follows the townspeople of a fictional desert town who have just experienced something that is truly out of this world.  With that out of the way, let's dive into the review!

Before I go any further, I just want to say that I think I need to see this movie again to really understand it.  My friend said the same thing.  That's not a negative though, because I really liked this movie.  Throughout its runtime, I was completely entranced by what was on the screen.  Anderson has crafted a multilayered story that certainly won't work for everyone, but it did for me.  All of the characters were captivating.  Jason Schwartzman did a great job as Augie Steenbeck, a war photographer who has just lost his wife and is now traveling with his kids to Asteroid City.  The reason they're there is because he's taking his son, Woodrow (Ryan), to the Junior Stargazing Convention.  At the beginning of the movie, we see him struggling with how to tell his kids that their mom passed.  We see he's in a little over his head.  I really loved his chemistry with Midge Campbell (Johansson), an actress who is also going to the Convention with her daughter, Dinah (Grace Edwards).  They sort of balance each other out.  They are both artists in a way, with Augie being behind the camera and Midge in front.  I also really liked Woodrow.  There's a quirkiness to him that's just very endearing.  This is the first time I've seen Jake Ryan as a main character and I hope we get to see more of him in the future.  What really struck me about the movie, besides the visuals (which I'll get to in a bit), was this underlying theme of meaning.  Many of the characters in the movie are searching for meaning to their lives.  This is extended to the actors in the play who are wondering about their motivation.  Both parties feel the same way:  What's their purpose?  What's the point?  Is there a point?  This is magnified further when the alien comes to visit and just blows up the young scientists' view of the universe.  This theme of what drives is brilliantly illustrated by Anderson, but never to the point where it felt like I was being beat over the head with it.  Asteroid City is a story that will have different meanings to different people.  I think that's partially the beauty of it.  The humor is as great like it is in the previous Wes Anderson movies.  It's pretty subtle and dry.  That doesn't mean it's purely a comedy, though.  There are plenty of heartfelt scenes throughout which really bolster the movie's theme of meaning.  It all blends together beautifully.   As I've mentioned earlier, this movie is gorgeous to look at.  It's bright and bursting with personality.  The set design is gorgeous and the movie really has the feeling that it was made in the 50s.  Even the alien felt like a homage to old monster movies.  There's so much detail in everything and it just leaps off the screen.  It's not something that we see in a lot of movies nowadays. 

There's not a ton that I found wrong with this movie.  Some parts left me a little confused, but that's more a reflection of me than the film.  Some parts tend to drag on a little bit and there are some sub plots that aren't really explored to the fullest.  This movie won't be for everyone.  Even I was a little surprised by the direction it went in.  There were also a few characters who I wished were explored a little more.  With such a big cast, it's only natural that it wouldn't have the time to delve into it.  Some characters I felt were unnecessary as well, but it's never to the point where it completely compromises the movie.

Asteroid City is a very interesting movie that I'm really excited to revisit.  The characters are charming, the idea of meaning that the movie presents is extremely thought-provoking,  the humor lands, and the visuals are gorgeous.  At times, I was a little confused and I do wish the movie elaborated more on some characters and sub-plots, but these are minor gripes.  If you're interested in seeing something a little different and thought-provoking, I would definitely go see this movie.  Sorry if this review is a little short, it's just that I haven't had a ton of time to reflect on the film.  I think that's what makes me appreciate it even more.  If I were to rate it, I'd give Asteroid City an 8.5/10.  I'm really interested to see what others think!