I haven't yet decided if I'm going to go watch it or not. My parents went to it on a whim and said it was terrible. lol Although, I don't think they'd like any Wes Anderson movie.
this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2023
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Well, it has a defined plot, sort of, but then it's like what's the point. But that describes basically all Wes Anderson movies.
Edit: sorry that's just in reply to your point about your parents. I think my parents watch movies for the plot, so I can imagine them asking "Ok but what's the point" at the end.
You should definitely watch it for yourself. It's very visually pleasing at the very least.
I put some thoughts to words in replying to another post about Asteroid City. Love to hear if anyone buys this analysis. I'm no critic or film theory expert, but I have seen most of Anderson's other films.
My take after a single watch is
spoiler
I think it's possible the entire construct of what was happening in black and white was not really happening at all, but just an invention of Jason Schwartzmann's character to help him deal with the grief of losing his wife.
Conversely, I think everything that happened in color was really happening.
Interestingly this is a wild inversion of what's presented on screen (where we're supposed to believe that what's happening in color is all a production being put on by actors and is NOT real, while the black and white stuff is what's real.
I've only seen it once, but I suspect there are really subtle hints to this peppered throughout.
I believe the climax of the movie is when Jason Schwartzmann's character "walks through the set" and ends up encountering his wife / "the actress who was supposed to play his wife". That it began snowing afterwards is a strong visual Cue.
This is literally just my take. I haven't bothered reading any analysis. I probably won't until I see it a few more times.
Just watched it today. It took a little while to process but I really enjoyed it. It's extremely visually pleasing of course.
I was really surprised by how meta it was. It's like he got tired of people discussing his films and just decided to do it himself during the movie. But isn't that kinda fun? I don't know that I've ever seen another movie be so forwardly meta like that.
I also thought it was really cool how deep the layers of narrative went. We're watching a movie about a TV show about a play that contains actors portraying actors.
I didn't read nor watch anything about the movie before seeing it and I think that's probably why I enjoyed it so much. I suspect that consuming any spoilers or commentary before watching ruins it. There's just so much surprise in every scene.
I had some of those similar thoughts. And my wife said something like "It was the most Wes Anderson-y Wes Anderson movie."
I also don't bother with reviews or trailers for movies I know I'm gonna watch. Half the time it ruins the movie and many critics just suck.
I do wish the characters had as many layers as the narrative though. That's probably my biggest criticism of Asteroid City.
This was the first Wes Anderson film I’ve ever seen, and I loved it. It was so beautiful and funny, though I definitely feel like I have to see it again to get all of the quick little jokes in it. The part that has stuck with me the most was the lead actor going to the director saying he doesn’t understand the play and the director saying something like “it’s ok, you don’t have to understand it. Just keep going.” And I feel like that applied to the actors, the characters they were playing, and me as the audience. Especially with the characters now wondering about the meaning of life and going through this crazy experience. I feel like I needed that little message and it made the movie that much more special. I’m definitely going to make some time this summer to watch his other films and see how they stack up.
It's not his most well-regarded but you may like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
I think it demands not just an awareness of Wes Anderson films, but also 1950s and 1960s era stage productions. Think Harold Pinter or Samuel Beckett.
If you're thrown by the inherent weirdness of Waiting For Godot or Happy Days, this is not the film for you.
I'll check those out.
I guess the...
...vibe of the b&w "behind the scenes" parts where it was an acting class ...
...reminded me of some spoken word thing I saw years ago on late night public access tv in a small western Pennsylvania town.
I could have sworn it was Tom Waits doing a one man show, but I had also had a few adult beverages when I saw it. A quick search says maybe it was "Frank's Wild Years". Looks like that was from the late 80s, but who knows it could have been hearkening back to 50s and 60s style stage productions.
EDIT: I'm now thinking it was just a recorded performance of the Tom Waits album Foreign Affairs