What do you get when you quarantine an A-list actress, a widower with four children, a gaggle of stargazing students, a country-western band, a group of government officials, and an alien in the middle of the desert? The answer is “Asteroid City,” the new film by the iconic Wes Anderson.
“Asteroid City” tells the behind-the-scenes story of the stage production of “Asteroid City,” narrated by Bryan Cranston, who plays the Host – taking viewers back and forth between a film depiction of the play and the backstories of the playwright (played by Ed Norton), director (Adrien Brody) and the play’s cast.
Confusing? Yes, but it works.
Set in the 1950s, “Asteroid City” – the play – centers around a gathering of junior stargazers who travel to Asteroid City – somewhere in the western desert – to commemorate Asteroid Day, when an asteroid landed in the rural town, creating a giant crater.
Jason Schwartzman plays the dual role of Augie Steenbeck and Jones Hall, the widower and the play’s lead actor, respectively. Augie and his family arrive in Asteroid City via tow truck, just in time for his genius son Woodrow (played by Jake Ryan) to participate in the festivities. Augie’s wife has recently passed away, and he, his adorable set of triplet girls, and Woodrow are at a crossroads.
Scarlett Johansson plays the dual role of actresses Midge Campbell and Mercedes Ford, a single mom who’s made the journey to Asteroid City with her daughter, also a junior stargazing enthusiast.
During the Asteroid Day festivities, an alien (played in a brief cameo role by Jeff Goldblum) lands in the crater to retrieve the asteroid left thousands of years earlier. Mayhem ensues, and all are stuck in the desert under a government-ordered quarantine.
True to form, “Asteroid City” features an ensemble cast of Anderson regulars, including Schwartzman, Norton, Brody, Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Fisher Stevens, and Tony Revolori, who Anderson cast in his first-ever acting role as the Lobby Boy in “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
Several other familiar faces appear in the film in prominent and minor roles, including Johansson, Cranston, Tom Hanks, Matt Dillon, and Margot Robbie.
Colorful cinematography lights up the screen during ”Asteroid City” to augment great performances by the cast.
Be sure to keep your eyes peeled to spot one of Anderson’s favorite cartoon characters who makes a few speedy cameo appearances during the film.
Now playing in theaters, “Asteroid City” is rated PG-13 for some suggestive material and runs 1 hour and 44 minutes. It’s a fun film worth watching, especially for Wes Anderson fans!
