Asteroid City movie review (2023) | Roger Ebert
Asteroid City movie review (2023) | Roger Ebert
The most ingeniously conceived and seamlessly executed of Wes Anderson's anthology/nesting multi-narratives.
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Sometimes I feel like the only person who doesn't like Wes Anderson movies. I don't understand it at all. Isle of Dogs was the only one I liked, but that one kind of goes against his typical style. I've otherwise watched Royal Tenenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, and Life Aquatic just to try and understand it and I didn't like any of them (I don't think I made it more than halfway through any of them). What am I missing and why does everyone love these movies? (This is a question in good faith, I genuinely want to know because I don't get it)
I'll take a swing at answering.
Have you ever spent time at an art gallery or museum of art, just soaking in the beauty?
To me, Wes Anderson films are like a guided tour through an art gallery, nearly every shot is gorgeous and I just want to sit and take it all in.
The people in the films, however, serve as sort of a juxtaposition to the visual delight. They are often small-minded, petty and otherwise broken. Even there, however, there is beauty as they search for, and occasionally find, redemption.
The long shots, the unblinking examinations of scenery and actors, the abnormal pacing create an indulgent experience that invite you to revel in the experience and examine the beauty and brokenness in the world around you.
Okay, so should I be watching it for the cinematography instead of the acting or storyline? I think from what you're saying, the acting is intentionally awkward and the story intentionally dry to contrast the filmography and set design. Am I understanding right?
the entire thing is stylized. not sure what your criteria is, but wes anderson is not aiming for realism.
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That's how I enjoy them, yes. I have no idea about authorial intent, but I certainly wouldn't treat them like a second screen experience.
Alright, I'll watch one with those intentions instead and see if I get it. Is there a specific one you'd recommend?
Oh no, I’m hardly an expert. I think Royal Tennenbaums is my favorite as it was the first one I ever saw.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is perhaps considered one of his better films, but I don’t know that it worked as well for me as some of the other ones. It was beautiful though.
If you do give it another try, let me know how it goes and what you think. It may not be for you though and that’s okay. Art is very subjective and there’s probably a huge array of factors that come together to make these films work for me.
As a non-sophisticated film watcher, I think The Grand Budapest Hotel is really approachable. It has a plot, a lot of the humor is easy to grasp. Narrative structure is mostly easy to follow.
I feel like you could watch his movies on mute and get the same effect
Like umami's "Interface" series. It's almost a plot. It's definitely got it's own unique, creepy style. I like watching the series occasionally but I don't know why.
Imagine that having a plot and an emotionally relatable script are unimportant. And now imagine that costumes, quirky characters, and gorgeous set design are the most important part of a movie, at the expense of everything else. Some people don't care about writing. There are several cottage industries in film and television that cater to them. Wes Anderson makes 90-120 minute visually stunning soap operas.
Steve Zissou is a soap opera?
God I wish all soap operas were like that.
Lots of people hate Wes Anderson movies. I'd feel a lot more neutral about them if I didn't occasionally get suckered into watching one without realizing it's a Was Anderson movie until it's too late to back out.
You’re not alone. I loved Bottle Rocket, because it’s a silly comedy with good acting and a silly story line. As he has progressed as a director, I cannot actually sit through is movies. For me it’s like being in an art gallery, and having people tell me why the paintings are amazing and stylish, and me wishing I was in a different art gallery. I’m an absolute fan of movies, be they made in Hollywood, Asia, Europe or the Middle East, but Wes Anderson is a director I just can’t get through the movies of.