Asteroid City (2023)

Summary: This is maybe how it goes. If we ignore the back story about it all being a play written and performed with difficulty, out in some sort of alternative world is the tiny borough of Asteroid City famous because a small asteroid has fallen there. Some teenage astronomers are gathered there with their parents and some hangers on. One parent is Augie whose wife has died, and is with them as her ashes in a Tupperware container. His car craps out and he calls his father in law who comes. Also there is Midge Campbell a tired film star with her daughter. She and Augie are able to view each other from their respective cabin windows. While a presentation is being made to the young people in the meteor crater, an alien space ship hovers over head, and an alien takes the asteroid. This caused the place to be quarantined by General Gibson, the man in charge. When he is about to lift the quarantine the alien returns the meteor.

Content: It is said that Midge poses naked for Augie, maybe, and it is said that they become lovers. There is a lot of interaction between some of the actors and the director of the play. Asteroid City seems to consist of a motel, made up of a number of cabins, by a road which comes from, and disappears into, the distance and is crossed by a railway line on which we see a couple of trains. There are a number of scenes with all the cast more or less lined up to be addressed by someone. General Gibson, Dr Hickenlooper et al.

A View: I liked the place, it was delightfully whimsical but that was not enough for me. Reading about it, I think there is some sort of thumbing the nose at The Actor’s Studio, but you might have to be an actor to get that. It is said to be a comedy but it is more of a puzzle, since I could never quite see the connection between the play, and what we saw in “real” life. Some people liked it, but you would probably have to be a devotee of Wes Anderson’s work to actually enjoy it. If you are going to pay to see it – pay attention.

I have reviewed one other Wes Anderson film on this site: It is Isle of Dogs.