Asteroid City Movie Review

Asteroid City (2023)

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Written by: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (story by), Wes Anderson (screenplay by) 
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Maya Hawke, Liev Schreiber, Sophia Lillis, Scarlett Johansson, Matt Dillon, Steve Carrell, Tony Revolori, Bob Balaban, Fisher Stevens, Tilda Swinton, jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Rita Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
The annual 1955 Junior Stargazer competition in Asteroid City is spectacularly upended by world-changing events.

Verdict
Anderson's movies are quirky and this even takes that up a notch. I've never really liked the style. While the visuals are engaging the characters in this never connect since dialog is so stilted. This plays with the narrative of a play in a narrative, and I'm not sure what we gain with the complication. This is a movie about isolation, and it takes a quite the journey in exploring that.
Skip it.

Review
This is a Wes Anderson movie cranked up to eleven. The story is a documentary about the creation of a stage play, 'Asteroid City.' We actually see the play the documentary is about. It's overly involved, and I'm not sure how seeing a movie that's a play that's part of a documentary benefits the viewer. It would seem watching this play instead of setting it as a story within a story would be easier.

Jason Schwartzman, Tom Hanks play  Augie Steenbeck, Stanley Zak

Anderson's movies always feel stylized and outside of reality. They share a unique look, and while I appreciate the art and artifice to it, it's never improved the story. Like all of Anderson's movies, it's unnecessarily obtuse. These characters speak in such a stilted fashion. It's supposed to invoke the idea it's a play, but it's just a layer of confusion.

Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody play

We see the play and how it was created. The documentary shows the actors and provides insight into their characters. This is a play about loneliness and isolation due to grief, fame, and even an alien quarantine. It's roundabout way to get there. Quirky is the word for Anderson, and this film is definitely quirky. There's an art to it, and I can appreciate the craft. This play and by extension this movie contains rigorously crafted sets. Maybe that's a commentary on extensive CGI is movies. The alien that appears clearly isn't computer generated. The alien might be the best part. I respect the craft, but I just don't care for Anderson's movies. There's no mistaking his movies, but they just aren't for me.