In his much-anticipated Asteroid City, Wes Anderson presents a visually enchanting world layered with complex emotions in the form of a play within a TV show within a film.
Asteroid City opens in black and white with Bryan Cranston as a host introducing a televised staging of Conrad Earp’s (Edward Norton) eponymous play. The events in the play are depicted in colour and this transition serves as a metaphorical shift from the mundane to the fantastical.
Set in the enigmatic landscape of the fictional town Asteroid City in the 1950s, the narrative follows war photojournalist Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman), who arrives in the peculiar desert town with his children to attend a youth astronomy convention. Augie’s personal struggles, including hiding his wife’s death from his children, create an undercurrent of tension.
The convention attendees — a diverse group of characters including actress Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), General Grif Gibson (Jeffrey Wright) and astronomer Dr Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton) — converge in a motel, setting the stage for a series of unpredictable events.
Beneath the visually arresting exterior, Asteroid City delves into themes of existential crisis and vulnerability. The characters’ fractured pasts and imperfect lives provide a common ground for dealing with grief. Augie’s denial of his wife’s death and Midge’s admission of her shortcomings as a mother illustrate their shared struggle to come to terms with loss.
In his seventh collaboration with Anderson, Schwartzman delivers an excellent performance as a man coping with loss and sorrow while also seeking closure for himself and his kids. The sheer number of characters in this film can be overwhelming, resulting in moments where it’s difficult to track their individual arcs. Yet, Scarlett Johansson stands out in the ensemble as the enigmatic, lonely movie star.
Given its relatively short runtime, Asteroid City’s intricate plot demands intense concentration as its relentless pace with a constant flow of interactions between characters and plot developments leaves no room for distraction.
The production design and colour palette play a pivotal role in narrating the story. Anderson’s masterful use of various hues and tones helps distinguish between different timelines and perspectives. As is characteristic of a Wes Anderson film, Asteroid City thrives on meticulous attention to detail, showcasing his signature symmetry and precision in framing shots.Cinematographer Robert Yeoman combines diptychs, symmetrical visuals and close-ups to create a visually striking experience, while Alexandre Desplat’s musical score enhances the atmosphere.