What Makes Asteroid City An Artisan Film
ASTEROID CITY opens on June 16th
There are some filmmakers whose careers are defined by such a distinct style that they have practically evolved into an entire individual genre of their own. One director who can very appropriately be considered as such is Wes Anderson, who has dazzled audiences for decades by introducing various, increasingly bizarre, worlds and characters in quirky comedies like the Academy Award®-nominated THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS and the Academy Award-winning THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. However, in terms of its quirky and bizarre nature, his latest picture, ASTEROID CITY, may be his most definitive work yet.
That being said, even with Anderson’s signature stamp on the film as director, producer, and screenwriter – in addition to working on the story with frequent collaborator Roman Coppola – ASTEROID CITY still serves as a very inventive, sharply funny, and often emotionally moving experience. Thus, the star-studded dramedy has been selected as an AMC Artisan film. Before you can see for yourself why we have deemed it as such when it comes out in AMC Theatres soon, take a look at the following, spoiler-free breakdown of why it hit us like an extra-terrestrial object.
Taking place in the mid-1950s, ASTEROID CITY is the story of a diverse group of people from various walks of life — such as a photographer, a film actor, and more — who are brought together to see their very bright children be rewarded for their extraordinary contributions to science and aerospace studies. Soon, however, they bond more than they expected — or are even comfortable with — after bearing witness to a life-changing, earth-shattering event that, subsequently, leaves them stranded in the arid, nearly barren desert town from which the film borrows its title.
Die-hard fans of Anderson’s career will likely feel immediately right at home with ASTEROID CITY for its captivating aesthetic and intriguing narrative structure. Not only does the film most often look and feel like a Technicolor drama straight out of its time setting, it boasts a framing device that is somewhat similar to some of the filmmaker’s earlier works, but in a way that is unlike anything he has done before, especially in how it allows the story to become hilariously self-aware. Yet, in ways that we will not divulge, the movie manages to stand out firmly among the rest of his already one-of-a-kind filmography with its eccentric tone and the peculiar turn of events.
While ASTEROID CITY spends much of its time with its head in the clouds – and a little ways beyond Earth’s atmosphere, too – it does manage to keep itself, somewhat, grounded by the end. The secret lies in the deeper, symbolic meaning behind it all.
Without giving too much away, Anderson’s screenplay makes it clear that the film’s story is a metaphor for something more than it presents at face value, but without ever being particularly candid about what it is intended to represent. However, we believe that, upon further reflection, audiences may find the core message to be something very timely, relatable, and valuable.
Another way that ASTEROID CITY will surely make Anderson fans feel right at home is the appearances of several actors whom he worked with in the past — such as Jason Schwartzmann, who has been a recurring staple of the director’s filmography, sometimes even as a writer, since 1998’s RUSHMORE. Other frequent collaborators appearing include Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban, Jake Ryan, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, and Willem Dafoe. Fans will also recognize Tony Revolori of THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL fame, ISLE OF DOGS voice cast members Scarlett Johansson and Bryan Cranston, and THE FRENCH DISPATCH’s Jeffrey Wright, Steve Park, Liev Schreiber, and Rupert Friend.
The ASTEROID CITY cast also boasts many other highly renowned performers joining Anderson’s “troupe” for the first time with this picture — such as two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks, whose absence from the director’s work thus far is surprising, given his own stellar filmography. Other notable newcomers include Steve Carell, THE WHALE’s Hong Chau, Hope Davis, Matt Dillon, Maya Hawke, Sophia Lillis, and Margot Robbie.
Another notable frequent collaborator of Anderson’s is composer Alexandre Desplat, who has had an ongoing relationship with the filmmaker since conducting the music for FANTASTIC MR. FOX in 2009. His stirring score for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is also what earned him his first Academy Award. He may receive, at least, a nomination for what he conjured for ASTEROID CITY.
When folk songs of yesteryear — namely Johnny Duncan’s “Last Train to San Fernando” and “Freight Train” by Nancy Whiskey and Chas McDevitt’s Skiffle Group — and a few original tracks are not permeating the soundtrack, Desplat’s composition wonderfully lays the groundwork for the film’s overall aura. The music creates a whimsical, otherworldly atmosphere that is perfectly fitting for the film’s equally whimsical tone and otherworldly subject material.
Those who adore Anderson are sure to love his latest film, and those unfamiliar with his work will likely be amused by the endearing absurdity he conjures with ASTEROID CITY. See for yourself how you feel about it when it comes to an AMC Theaters location near you!
ASTEROID CITY opens on June 16th
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