If you squirmed through Wes Anderson's French Dispatch, wishing for the whole thing to end quickly, you'll be happy to know that Asteroid City is a delightful outing. It's not on the upper shelf with Wes' Royal Tenebaums and Rushmore, mind you, but there will be no squirming for an hour and forty-four minutes. Well, maybe some at the very end.
It's all breezy fun to take in. The gorgeous sets and visual take on 1950s Americana. The screwball comic pacing of Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwatzman's characters. The vibrant colors. An talented cast of kids. And some inspired, wry comedy. I was thrilled to see it in a full theater as we found ourselves laughing together at all the right, awkward moments.
For most of the film, there is a plot that builds and keeps the interest going beyond the stylings. An indulgent, play-within-the-play diversion featuring Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton and Adrien Brody removes the viewer from the main story — not in a good way — and derails any story momentum. Unfortunately, the whole thing ends pretty flat by the end without a cohesive story or much of a point to make about love, death or life on earth, but at least it's not a collection of vignettes like the last film. When it's over, it's over.
In a nutshell: Style wins over substance in most of Anderson's films and it's true here. Asteroid City didn't quite land the ending but the kid stories are great as are the unforgettable Johansson and Schwartzman bits.
Where to see it: In theaters now.
Award potential: Seems like a lock for a nomination for Oscar's Best Production Design (retitled Art Direction). For Golden Globes, Johansson could see a nod for her roles as an actress and an actress in character. Tom Hanks, Steve Carell and Tilda Swifton's talents are wasted here.
The Ten Buck Review: See it in a theater with all your friends. Worth ten bucks.
No comments:
Post a Comment