PORTLAND, Maine — Editor's note: This article is a critical analysis of a film and does not represent the views of NEWS CENTER Maine, but that of the author.
Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks star in a new film called "Asteroid City" by Director Wes Anderson.
Anderson is known for making eccentric movies with a unique style, including "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox."
Story
"Asteroid City" is told as a three-act play that switches from the perspective of the people on stage to a more traditional movie. The actors play actors during scenes of the play on stage, and they perform their actual characters in the film.
Boasting a large cast (as most Anderson films do), Bryan Cranston serves as the narrator, opening and closing the play and adding context between scenes.
The film is set in a fictional desert town called "Asteroid City" on the Nevada/California border. It's remote, with only a small military installation, a diner, a gas station, and a motel making up the municipality with a population of less than 70 people.
A war photographer named Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) is towed into town after his car breaks down. He's accompanied by his four children, one genius son (Jake Ryan playing the boy named Woodrow) and three imaginative young daughters.
Augie, a recent widower, is brought to town by a junior space cadet program his son is presenting an invention at, along with other child prodigies. It's here at the little motel consisting of tiny houses that Augie informs his children of their mother's death.
He also makes a quick phone call to his father-in-law, Stanley (Hanks), to come pick them up.
Other characters wind up in town through various circumstances, including Johansson's character, a famous actress named Midge Campbell, who is there for her daughter's presentation at the space program.
Everyone is shocked when an alien appears and forces the town into quarantine courtesy of an order from the president. From there, the characters have to find ways to pass the time and survive each other's company.
Analysis
Anderson is a well-known name at this point thanks to his unique styles that lend each movie the veneer of an independent production. Audiences either love Anderson, or they don't.
In a post-pandemic world of cinema where audiences seem more hesitant than ever to spend their hard-earned dollars at the theater outside of well-known franchises, Hollywood responds accordingly, it seems, and takes fewer risks. Movies are art to viewers and a business to producers, after all.
But there are some directors who can just do what they want, and executives will write the check regardless. Christopher Nolan comes to mind, and it's probably getting to be the same for Denis Villeneuve. Anderson is certainly at that level.
This movie is full of his trademarks, unorthodox shots, big names who show up for a scene or two before leaving, characters navigating grief, strained paternal relationships, dialogue delivered in an overly-plain speech, and more.
The story is presented as matter-of-fact and is best enjoyed at a slow pace. Because despite being under two hours, "Asteroid City" carries a pace of a stage performance that requires an intermission.
So, the best advice for viewing is to settle in and breathe. It's a slow ride, though not a boring journey. "Asteroid City" offers genuinely surprising funny moments, but also fascinating character studies.
Johannson and Hanks give amazing performances and carry their own versions of grief. It's the same for Schwartzman, who plays off the aforementioned stars beautifully.
Hanks' grief comes in the form of a gruff, grumpy grandpa who still shows plenty of love to his family despite losing his daughter. Schwartzman's grief comes in the form of a man who tells everyone exactly who he is and what he's going to do, while not knowing how to express his pain over the loss of his wife (Margot Robbie).
There's not a single wasted character, from Steve Carell as a motel clerk to Willem Dafoe as an acting coach. The film feels like every scene is handstitched, and every running gag somehow manages to pay off before the credits roll.
It's another Wes Anderson movie, and that makes it beautiful or tedious, depending on prior opinion.
Also playing this weekend
Audiences looking for a new comedy may want to check out "No Hard Feelings." Here's the synopsis:
"On the brink of losing her home, Maddie finds an intriguing job listing: helicopter parents looking for someone to bring their introverted 19-year-old son out of his shell before college. She has one summer to make him a man or die trying."
To see which movies are playing at a theater near you, click here.
For more movie thoughts, follow Courtney Lanning on Twitter here.