Wes Anderson goes sci fi in his latest colourful concoction, screening first at the Festival as a jaw-dropping A-list cast converge on the small desert town of Asteroid City for a space convention.
Wes Anderson at his most mature and magical—and at his most singular, in a way no one else can capture.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2023
Asteroid City 2023
| Jul 29 |
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| Jul 31 | |
“The tiny desert town of Asteroid City (population 87) plays host to brilliant students and their parents as they gather for the 1955 Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention encouraging fellowship and scholarly competition. Amongst the parents are war and sports photographer Augustine (Schwartzman), who’s avoiding dealing with a family crisis, and the glamorous film star Midge (Johansson). The students, while geniuses, have to overcome social awkwardness as they show off their incredible inventions. The inevitable flirtations and fledgling romances are rudely disrupted by a shocking world-changing event. As General Gibson (Jeffrey Wright) says to the kids: ‘If you wanted a nice quiet life, you chose the wrong time to be born.’ Featuring a stacked cast including Steve Carrell, Maya Hawke, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Margot Robbie, and many more!” — Sydney Film Festival
“To say that he’s done it again—yet again—is going to mean something different to fans and non-fans. But I have to say the first category is the only place to be for what is simply a terrifically entertaining and lightly sophisticated new comedy from Wes Anderson, in his signature rectilinear, deadpan style, with primary-pastel colours and his all-star repertory ensemble cast. Regulars including Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton are now joined by Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks, who have been welcomed into the droll Anderson fold. And the director emphatically proves that the YouTube pasticheurs are like Butlin’s Elvis impersonators: they’re not quite doing it.
Asteroid City’s eccentricity, its elegance, its gaiety, and its sheer profusion of detail within the tableau frame make it such a pleasure. So, too, does its dapper styling of classic American pop culture. With every new shot, your eyes dart around the screen, grabbing at all the painterly little jokes and embellishments, each getting a micro-laugh.” — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian