Wes Anderson has a distinctive approach when it comes to the art of filmmaking. If I were to ask someone randomly what a Wes Anderson movie looks like, they could probably give me a very clear idea of one. Whether it’s the pastel colors, the symmetrical cinematography, or the frequent appearances of Bill Murray, every aspect of his productions are unique and highly stylized. However, his approach is not without its critics. Many have said that his movies are way too much style over substance, and that he can not balance emotional stories with stylistic sets.
His latest, Asteroid City, is no exception. While many have dismissed it as just another forgettable movie in Anderson’s catalog, others, including me, have seen that it is some of his best work yet. Asteroid City has thread the needle between emotion and style that many critics say he has not achieved since his film Rushmore released back in 1998. Personally, I disagree with the latter half, as many of his movies past Rushmore have the emotional throughline that people deny being there. Be it the themes of memory and nostalgia in The Grand Budapest Hotel, or the drama of the midlife crisis of the titular character in Fantastic Mr. Fox, his movies have emotion if you look for it. That being said, Asteroid City is one of his most powerful yet, with both satirical views of 1950s culture and themes of absurdism and self-acceptance.
The plot follows Jason Schwartzman as photojournalist Augie Steenbeck taking his family to his son’s Junior Stargazer convention, while also dealing with the death of his wife, his father-in-law played by Tom Hanks, and a new love interest played by Scarlett Johansson. Other characters include Maya Hawke playing a teacher at a youth astronomy convention, a motel manager played by Steve Carrell trying to sell land from a vending machine, and Jeff Goldblum as an alien (I will not elaborate). However, the beginning makes it clear that the main plot and characters are just a stage play acted out in a live performance, whose writer becomes a character in the monochrome “real-world” of the movie. If this sounds confusing, just know that when watching the movie it’s not even an issue, as the movie actively separates these two worlds with both color, aspect ratio, and set design. Anderson’s style comes into full display here, as this movie and premise, like many of his previous work, would fall flat if handled by any other director.
While all the performances are stellar, they do all fall into a similar trap of Anderson’s direction style when it comes to the dialogue. While much of the writing is good, Anderson directs his actors to speak in a very unchanging monotone voice. This makes the delivery feel purposefully stilted, which can turn a lot of people off, especially if the dialogue contains long-winded monologues. Even as a fan, this has always been a problem in his movies that detracts people from his style and prevents them from looking further in his filmography. Despite this, the script of Asteroid City presents one of the best messages in a Wes Anderson film.
At its core, Asteroid City is about looking at your hardships and seeing how they can improve you instead of just wallowing in them. Many of the characters have problems, both in the fictional play and the “real-life” portions, that keep them from being the people they want to be. However, they don’t ever let their heads down, resign, or even think of quitting. They keep going, no matter if they don’t understand what the play means, or why they are putting on the performance. They rise out of their troubles and are able to become the people they aspire to be, whether it be a great playwright or a great inventor, because of them. The film shows us that to become the people we want to be, we need to first accept and work on our negative traits, embodied by the line “You can’t wake up if you don’t fall asleep.”
Overall, Asteroid City is a film about pushing through, even if you don’t understand why. In addition to that is a solid ensemble cast and the return of his unique aesthetic. People who love Wes Anderson already will consider this a worthy entry in his repertoire, and even those who aren’t on board can appreciate the heartfelt message underneath it.
Rocco Lippi is a first-year Film, Photography & Visual Arts major with a love for all things Wes Anderson.