Jason Schwartzman and Wes Anderson newbie Tom Hanks lead the cast in Asteroid City (Picture: Pop 87 Productions)
It’s quite possible that Wes Anderson has just made the most Wes Anderson film ever with new release Asteroid City.
At a time when the director is enjoying a bit of a moment as the internet’s favourite online thanks to TikTok trends and people making entirely AI-generated trailers for films such as Star Wars in his style, it’s a slightly uncanny coincidence.
Within the film’s first two minutes, audiences are treated to one of Anderson’s favourite tropes – the list of items, the more obscure the better, required to undertake a task.
He’s also, of course, assembled an impressive cast of all of his frequent collaborators including Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Tony Revolori, Scarlett Johansson and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him Jeff Goldblum (he plays an alien, naturally).
If that wasn’t enough star power, Tom Hanks is also making his Anderson debut, and joyfully embraces the director’s stylised filmmaking with a slightly stilted and stiff delivery, where appropriate, alongside Steve Carell (delightful), Bryan Cranston, Margot Robbie, Maya Hawke and Liev Schreiber.
It’s an embarrassment of acting riches really, but naturally several of those stars don’t really get much of a look-in sadly, with the story focusing mainly on Schwartzman and Johansson as recent widower Augie Steenbeck and Bette Davis-type actress Midge Campbell respectively.
Returner Scarlett Johansson plays a Bette Davis-type actress (Picture: Pop 87 Productions/Focus Features)
They meet at the Junior Stargazer convention, where soldiers like Jeffrey Wright and his impressive mile-a-minute delivery, scientists and parents have come together to discover the spectacular inventions of gifted students, of which Augie’s son (fabulous young Anderson favourite Jake Ryan) is one.
Hanks is Augie’s father-in-law, along for the ride, who shares a particularly sweet relationship with his three young granddaughters.
When the desert town (pop. 87) hosting the convention is suddenly visited by a very sweet stop-motion alien, who nicks their asteroid and vanishes (the last we see of both Goldblum and any extra-terrestrial action, sadly), everyone is placed under government-mandated quarantine.
The characters are forced into quarantine after an alien encounter (Picture: Pop 87 Productions/Focus Features)
There are so many stars in the cast, it’s hard to make room for them all (Picture: Pop 87 Productions/Focus Features)
The problem is, for however funny and cute Asteroid City is in parts, it’s just a bit too much style-over-substance, as well as being quite difficult to penetrate as an audience member.
There’s a play within a film concept, where everyone is actually an actor playing their part, but it’s oddly handled and goes off on quite random tangents with poorly interwoven points, all of which are presented by the Host (Bryan Cranston, who is at least having fun).
Asteroid City is lovely to look at, with its retro 1950s setting obviously a natural fit for Anderson’s trademark pastel coloured palette, and its scored as usual by Alexandre Desplat.
The film is a lot of style but confusing substance (Picture: Pop 87 Productions/Focus Features)
Jason Schwartzman, Wes Anderson, Johansson and Hanks at the Cannes Film Festival premiere (Picture: Getty)
However, there’s just not quite enough of an exciting caper going on as in his best work like Grand Budapest Hotel.
For those with no patience for Wes Anderson whimsy, it’s probably best to skip altogether – this alien encounter feature is sure to alienate most of those who aren’t hardcore fans.
Asteroid City will be released in UK cinemas on June 23.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Entertainment News
MORE : Jay Leno refuses to ‘whine and complain’ as he opens up on recovery after near-fatal accidents
A lot of style over confusing substance.
