How is ‘Asteroid City’ different from other Wes Anderson films? Auteur explores new horizons with sci-fi venture
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: It’s almost impossible to ignore Wes Anderson’s distinctive style that elevates the aesthetics of everything he touches on his film set. Ranging from his love of symmetry in placing characters before the camera or using vibrant colors to give a pleasant vibe, Anderson is a skillful artisan in full command of his vision. His former films, ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’, and ‘Darjeeling Limited’ have positioned him as an auteur who creates worlds that are filled with characters tending to multiple facets of their personalities and exploring varied themes of loss, family dynamics, heartbreak, humor, and whims, to name a few. Anderson has certified his style once again in his new feature, ‘Asteroid City'.
Set in a fictional town named ‘Asteroid City’ in 1950s America, the film sees various parents accompanying their space-obsessed kids to a convention in the desert, where they must quarantine together after receiving an unexpected visitor from the skies. The film features an ensemble cast of Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Hope Davis, Jeffery Wright, Hong Chau, Tilda Swinton, Liev Schreiber, and Matt Dillon, among others. In the film, viewers witness a TV broadcast by a host (Cranston) who is narrating a story of a playwright (Norton) who once wrote a play named ‘Asteroid City’. Anderson has always taken bold decisions with his narrative structures, but with this film, he has ventured into new territory while leaving one of his famous filmmaking traits behind.
Anderson explores science fiction
Anderson is renowned for exploring complex relationships and family dynamics through the use of symmetry and colors. He probably wants to tone down the hurt these concepts bring to people with his unique style while maintaining the intensity of these relations. In ‘Asteroid City’, Schwartzman plays a hardened war photographer, Johansson is a Marlyn Monroe-esque actor, while the other cast members bring their quirks into the extraterrestrial world built by Anderson. For ‘Asteroid City', the filmmaker has turned his axis to the sky to tell a story while ensuring that his use of colors and symmetry doesn’t go away. It’s a wondrous experience for ardent Wes Anderson fans who may now see the filmmaker explore horizons beyond the complexity of human relationships.
Leaves a trademark behind
Anderson is known for working with the same cast, but the filmmaker has openly welcomed Tom Hanks and Steve Carell to his world. In ‘Asteroid City’, Anderson also seems to have left one of his unique filmmaking trademarks behind. He is known for using slow-motion sequences to near perfection, especially the memorable one that features Gwyneth Paltrow in ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’. In his latest flick, the auteur seems to have discarded that approach altogether.
The premiere of Anderson's ‘Asteroid City' at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival left the critics divided, but dedicated Wes Anderson fans will be enthralled with his new offering that preserves his style while adding a few new elements that are expected to blossom in the future. 'Asteroid City' is all set to come to theaters near you on June 16.