Wes Anderson’s Latest Is Fresh, Original And Disarming – Deadline
“You can’t wake up if you don’t fall asleep,” people are told more than once in Wes Anderson’s insanely original book 11th Movie, asteroid city, which is both addictively stylized and, like this clever little quote, perhaps more than a little unclear as to what it’s ultimately about. Set entirely in a 1955 desert-like setting by Monument Valley and populated by a fabulous ensemble cast, Focus Features’ Cannes Film Festival competition entry is a hilariously whimsical surprise brimming with creativity. At the same time, however, it sometimes seems to reach out for serious creative revelations that do not materialize and that encourage confusion rather than insight.
You always recognize an Anderson film from the start; No American director stylizes compositions and camera movements as formally as he and his regular cinematographer Robert Yeoman. The new film is characterized by the countless tracking shots from the side, which have long been one of the duo’s trademarks.
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This is not a West, but rather an anti-East in the anti-communist sense. It’s the height of the Cold War, when school-age children were told to be on the lookout for spies and suspicious figures, and to worry about the atomic bomb. This rugged desert outpost resembles a classic 1950s travel destination in many ways: there’s the chic sit-at-the-counter diner, remnants of rides and other nifty attractions, and the sense of accomplishment of keeping the enemy at bay. If double billing still existed in theaters today, a savvy cinema operator might be inclined to link this film to Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film Oppenheimer.
The rumored reason all these characters have gathered in the desert is Asteroid Day. But something else comes through here that gives the story a whole different dimension: the events are actually part of a play that the actors, some of whom we’ve already seen, are putting on in New York City. Everyone knows the show must go on, but doubts seem to tarnish the company and it’s unclear how things will play out.
At least at first glance, this narrative device seems more of a distraction than an excitingly adventurous or insightful addition to what is happening in the desert. For long stretches you don’t see New York or anywhere else, so the viewer tends to re-engage with the main narrative, in which there are always big and small things to do. With good routes you even forget it
that this means of interrupting the narrative even exists and that the film is better suited for it.
Since the film is probably 90% set in Arizona (although the film was shot in Spain), increasing attention is drawn to the multitude of eccentric characters who haven’t yet left the desert or didn’t feel motivated enough to leave Dodge. It starts with leading actor Jonas Hall (Jason Schwartzman) with four children in tow; Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), a movie star, accompanied by her daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards); Combat Photographer Stanley Zak (Tom Hanks); Five Star General Grif Gibson (Jeffrey Wright); photographer dr Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton); TV presenter (Bryan Cranston) and playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton).
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Also striking is Anderson’s preference, which is more evident here than ever, namely to use the rapid lateral camera movements as often as possible; You don’t see that preference all that much in other films, so it seems like Anderson is trying to smooth the scales, estimated to apply it well over 50% of the time here. At least it’s a shooting style that gets noticed and remembered, and with this director and his multifaceted cinematographer, Yeoman, has the radicalizing effect of making the film seemingly far more urgent and driving than the norm.
Scene after scene has a certain poignancy and urgency that matches the pace of the dialogue, giving the film a kind of stylized urgency that’s both distinctive and funny. It’s hard to keep up at times, and yet somehow it doesn’t matter at all, as one feels welcome in a strange world where driving, well-articulated, and precisely spoken language is the norm; the Cary Grant of raise baby And His Girl Friday would have felt right at home in Anderson’s unique world.
On the other hand, the conceit of putting a show on film doesn’t really pay off; It can be said that it complicates the work as there is little to show and the general audience, as opposed to art film lovers, will be confused as to what is going on. There’s another layer to the process that’s arguably more of a nuisance than a plus. But otherwise this is a fresh, original and disarming creation unlike anything you’ve seen before, with a level of stylized storytelling that is remarkable and often exciting.
Title: asteroid city
Festival: Cannes (Competition)
Distributor: Focus Features (Release Date: June 16, 2023 in US)
Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriters: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Pour: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe , Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan, Jeff Goldblum
Duration: 1 hr 44 mins