Asteroid City

Interest 0

CAT'S PICK : ★ 6.9

Asteroid City's flightiness, its tastefulness, its joy, and its sheer bounty of detail inside the scene outline make it such a delight. It also represents classic American pop culture in a dapper manner. Your eyes dart around the screen with each new shot, grabbing all the painterly little jokes and gimmicks for a quick chuckle.

A spectacularly engaging and gently complex new parody from Wes Anderson, in his particular rectilinear, lifeless style, with essential pastel tones and his top pick repertory troupe cast. Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks have been welcomed into the droll Anderson fold, joining regulars Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton.

Asteroid City also has a fun, quirky little story with absurd, deep, and philosophical messages about discrimination, loneliness, and acceptance in addition to the delightful visuals, chirpy music, and cast of the best film actors. It gets going with a gathering of smart children joined by their folk’s war photographer Augie Steenbeck and the entertainer Midge going to Asteroid Day at Asteroid City, named for the asteroid that arrived in the city and made a colossal cavity.

It picks up again just as it is about to get boring and slow down, with something absurd and chaotic happening, leaving you wondering how it will end. The conclusion is lacking, but only because everyone has such high expectations that poor Anderson has no room for error. Even the tiniest flaws are brought to light, such as the overly straightforward conclusion, which might work for a different filmmaker but fans simply expect more from him.