Asteroid City is set in a fictional desert town where a bunch of strange characters assemble and all hell breaks loose. The film is directed by visionary filmmaker Wes Anderson. His films have been hatke and have always been entertaining and simplistic. Asteroid City belongs to the absurdist genre and could have made for a unique experience. Sadly, the film gets too bizarre and many characters don’t leave an impact. It’s a film that will compel you to search for ‘Asteroid City explained’ articles. On the positive side, the sets and the camerawork are imaginative and bear the trademark Wes Anderson stamp. Jason Schwartzman (Augie) plays the deadpan character with ease. Scarlett Johansson (Midge Campbell) is too good. Tom Hanks (Stanley) is just okay due to the characterization. Jake Ryan (Woodrow) and Grace Edwards (Dinah) are likeable. Jeffrey Wright (General Grif Gibson), Tilda Swinton (Dr Hickenlooper) and Steve Carell (Motel Manager) are decent. Maya Hawke (June Douglas) and Rupert Friend (Montana) are forgettable. Edward Norton (Conrad Earp) and Bryan Cranston (TV host) are okay and their track is not easy to understand. All in all, Asteroid City fails to impress.
My rating – ** out of 5!