Asteroid City (2023) Dir: Wes Anderson
- Ridley Coote
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
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Wes Anderson is a very interesting filmmaker, who tends to make very interesting films. His heavily stylised cinematography, as well as his deliberately unusual and often awkward dialogue, captures the imagination more often and not. He is one of the few modern directors who one could point to and call a true auteur of his craft. His films are immediately recognisable as his own, and I was hoping this 2023 release would be as enjoyable as some of his best.
Unfortunately, it was not. I found the film extremely slow and monotonous, and even a little boring. It hurts to say, but this was a far cry from Anderson's classics, such as 'The Royal Tennenbaums' or 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'. The story was convoluted, dull, and messy. It's not to say that elements of it weren't appealing, I think a snappier screenplay would have helped it along, but because everything dragged so severely, it meant I couldn't wait for the credits to roll.
On a more positive note, the film looked terrific. The hyper-stylised set design and colour palette was really pleasant to look at - no surprises there. I loved the costume and designs, which Anderson almost never disappoints with. It's safe to say, therefore, that the aesthetic of the film was not the problem. On the contrary, it was the most digestible aspect of the whole film. I just wish that the rest of it had been to the same quality.
The film boasts what is arguably one of the most stacked casts in the history of cinema. In fact, it has almost too many big Hollywood names to count. There were a few who, in fairness, stood out amongst a crowd of pedigree. My personal favourite performances were provided by Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Maya Hawke, and Rupert Friend. I also enjoyed the likes of Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Steve Park, Steve Carrell, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum, albeit to a lesser degree. The problem was not the acting, that much was for sure.
Overall, I found myself immensely disappointed by this film. It just wasn't very entertaining. Oddly enough, it actually felt a little like Wes Anderson was doing a very mediocre parody of Wes Anderson. If the story was better, this really could've been another classic from the renowned director, but, unfortunately, it was a big misfire. This is a great example of why writing is so vital for the making of a good film. Getting it wrong, even with an all-star ensemble cast, can be catastrophic.
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