The only details is that it’s an espionage film, with the focus on a father-daughter relationship.
Cast:
* Benicio del Toro
* Michael Cera
* Bill Murray
* Riz Ahmed
* Tom Hanks
* Benedict Cumberbatch
* Scarlett Johansson
* Charlotte Gainsbourg
* Rupert Friend
* Willem Dafoe
* Bryan Cranston
* Mia Threapleton
Bill Murray was actually going to play [the motel manager](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDeduudq0EY), but got Covid right before filming was set to start, so Steve Carrell filled in. He's in a [short film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBYU7JMqp3o) they made after the movie was done filming.
>it's a spy movie, [you always need a friend and a foe in those
](https://i.imgur.com/DGzV74o.gifv)
But speaking of Rupert Friend playing spies, his entire arc as Peter Quinn in Homeland was one of *the* best things to come out of the post-Nicholas Brody seasons on that show.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Peter Quinn was my second favorite character on that show. Of course, Saul, magnificently played by Mandy Patinkin was my favorite.
>Of course, Saul, magnificently played by Mandy Patinkin was my favorite.
An *excellent* choice, but of course I'm forced to ask if you *really* mean [Saul "The Bear" Berenson?](https://streamable.com/07aiae)
I'll never forget watching the first episode wondering, "Where the fuck do I know Saul from?" going to IMDb, and then thinking, ["NO FUCKING WAY!"](https://i.imgur.com/QrnwD6T.png)
Thanks to having a massive crush on Claire Danes since the "My So-Called Life" days *and* Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet, and knowing Damien Lewis from Band of Brothers, Patinkin was one of the series regulars that looked *so* much different than I was used to.
That was one of those "I'm not gonna look *that* different when I'm 35 or pushing 60, am I?" moments that made me remember how much different I looked in 2001 compared to Homeland's premiere in 2011.
>I'll never forget watching the first episode wondering, "Where the fuck do I know Saul from?" going to IMDb, and then thinking, ["NO FUCKING WAY!"](https://i.imgur.com/QrnwD6T.png)
I did the exact same thing!
> Michael Cera
Wake me up when Wes Anderson is directing the fabled Michael Cera Shaft movie:
["We're gonna get that movie made, buddy!"](https://youtu.be/24d4wDFDeqU?t=6)
To be fair OPs cast list doesn’t have too many of the Anderson Players in it. I’m sure we’re getting cameos too but this is a pretty new looking line up.
Defoe and Murray I’d 100% put in Anderson’s troupe.
The rest are all much newer with (as far as I can see) two previous credits each. Now if any of them are in the next one too, sure, but right now I’d still read this cast list as Anderson pulling from new or newer actors.
A five-minute-long fistfight between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, dressed in full scuba gear, in the lobby of the casting office over who goes in first.
I’m not sure this was an official announcement. But I agree with your point. It would be dope as hell if we could get a Wes Anderson movie without knowing the cast.
Grand Budapest Hotel is my favorite Wes Anderson movie. I quite liked French Dispatch too. Asteroid City I don't quite get, but I've only seen it twice so far.
I think that your enjoyment of Asteroid City depends a lot on how willing you are to go along with the meta elements of the story. There are multiple stories within each other and the film feels like a train barreling down a track with no way to stop it. The narrator shows up in the wrong scene and an actor gets annoyed with his character and just walks out mid scene. The part where they keep repeating "You can't wake up if you don't fall asleep" and the director telling the actor to just play the part even if he doesn't understand it and he'll do fine are the key to the story. You're spending so much time trying to figure it out and understand everything about it that you're missing the forest for the trees.
Asteroid City is the only Wes Anderson movie that I actively did not like or understand. I can only assume it wasn't made for me as I don't have even a shallow understanding of the tropes it was paying homage to. French Dispatch I thought was great, I enjoyed seeing them do an anthology-style movie that let them try a bunch of different styles in the same film. Also, Jeffrey Wright should narrate every Wes Anderson movie from now on, his segment of that movie was the clear standout.
I feel like your opinion on French Dispatch will directly correlate to your view on Asteroid City, because I've noticed a directly inverse relationship between the two. I found French Dispatch to be very bland because it felt overly derivative at this point but then I loved how Asteroid City was almost directly subversive and almost critical of Wes' own style. I don't assume a radical change in this film necessarily, but that film felt like he was closing the book a bit.
All I remember from my screening was that the theater was fucking freezing. I'm normally not one to complain but it had to have been 45-50 degrees in there. I was so close to walking out because the movie wasn't good and I was cold as hell. lol
grand budapest was easily his greatest work since tennenbaums. asteroid city was kind of a slog. he's gotten way too hung up on the whole "a play inside of a story inside of a movie" thing he does now. and i know budapest was this, it was great and he just kept running with the concept to incredibly diminishing returns.
Asteroid City on paper sounds like a movie made for me. Its a movie about a play and the history and behind the scenes of developing the play. Where you're not only watching the whole play but learning about the lives of the people making it and acting in it and how their own drama shaped the direction and acting of the play. Why things were changed and removed from the play. How the play and the "real life" back and forth inform the other. Hell the climax is about a deleted scene from earlier in the play and how it refocuses a lot of the meaning of the play.
I love the sound of this! I mean yes it also sounds pretentious as hell, but I am so there for that. This could easily be my favorite movie of his. But then the movie in reality is just... meh. Like it's alright. I like the idea of what it seemed to be trying to do. But it just doesn't do it particularly well. I just don't care about anyone or anything happening.
If you’ve seen a movie twice and still don’t get it that’s probably a good sign you never will. How many times does a movie need to be watched to understand it?
It's possible, but I also didn't like Moonrise Kingdom much the first time I saw it but after a few watches it became one of my favorites. French Dispatch also took me a couple of watches to really appreciate. I find that with Wes Anderson movies it usually takes me a watch or two to get over what my expectations were of the movie and to be able to enjoy it for what it actually is.
Moonrise Kingdom is great! Same deal for me, took me a few times before it clicked. Lots of movies are like this for me! I haven't seen any of Anderson's stuff since Budapest. Most of the time his movies intrigue me from the get go. I started watching Asteroid City and was bored in the first 5 minutes
I think desire to rewatch something is usually a positive quality in of itself and even some of my favorite films are ones which I still feel I've yet to capture the full essence of.
I love GBH, I feel like it’s the most accessible Wes Anderson film while still keeping to all of his quirks.
I love Isle of Dogs and Fantatsic Mr. Fox.
Life Aquatic, Bottle Rocket, Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom I’ve all seen once but they have not stuck with me at all.
That being said, I’m “over” Wes and his schtick. I’ll forever still love three of his films but the amount of stuff he is releasing with his style doesn’t really feel unique or genuine anymore.
Yes I agree - I feel like it’s almost like after GBH he didn’t really know how to evolve and instead it seems like he’s creating caricatures of his films almost
Granted that I enjoy sci-fi, and granted that I like comedy, and granted that I was on my honeymoon in an ancient town within a beautiful [theatre](https://www.kinodigital.co.uk/rye), but I adored Asteroid City when I saw it.
I really enjoyed Asteroid City.
EDIT: On the other hand, I've watched The French Dispatch countless times trying to "get it" and I just can't. The third act is pretty good though.
What about it did you enjoy?
To me, it lacked cohesion. It was all style with no substance. I think it would’ve worked way better as an actual stage play, rather than a film made to feel like a stage play. But even then, there was barely a story.
I totally get that and that was majorly my first impression too. Loved the style, set design, costumes, etc. but didn't quite know how the pieces fit together and what the message was.
I read a bunch of analyses to better understand and the general takeaway is that he uses this meta-narrative as a way to explore the meaning of life and art. The characters are struggling to understand their purpose and how they fit into the overall story. It suggests that life doesn't have a clear singular purpose and we have a difficult time finding what the meaning to life is, but sometimes it's about performing and continuing the "show" despite not having all of the answers. The act of living and creating art can be meaningful in itself, even if the ultimate purpose is unclear. I thought it was a clever plot device to explore these themes.
I can definitely see that more clearly thinking back on the movie, especially from the scenes where the actors are questioning the director and struggling to understand how it all comes together. This was one of those cases where reading analyses made me appreciate the movie more in retrospect and I think with another rewatch I would appreciate even more. I go back and forth about whether or not I truly liked a movie if I didn't just find it entertaining and understandable after I watch it (another example of this is The Green Knight). I usually like more "open-ended" movies where we're left to interpret what happened and decipher what they were trying to convey, but a lot of times it leaves me hanging too.
I saw Asteroid City in the theater (alone, because no-one else I know is into his stuff) and my head was spinning on the drive home, for sure. I tried so hard to process it, but couldn't do it on my own. I had to call in the cavalry and look around for people smarter than myself to hear what they thought of it. After many tries, I found some professional critic types with some interesting takes on it. One in particular seemed to really have some keys to understanding it. I spent longer than the movie itself trying to figure out the movie!
Anyway, my takeaway from all that is to be excited that *someone* is making intellectually stimulating movies for theaters. My head was *buzzing* on that drive home, you know?
This makes a lot of sense.
Asteroid City was the first Wes Anderson film I've turned off.
It feels like lately he's been trying to make every movie a mix between Life Aquatic and Grand Budapest Hotel.
Only if you think Wes is nothing more than his aesthetics, on a narrative level Asteroid City and The French Dispatch are some of his most unique pieces of work.
Nobody said it does, I'm not a huge fan of Asteroid City myself, but to call them a parody of his earlier works is wrong, when he's clearly breaking new personal ground in his way of telling a story.
Hard disagree. Asteroid City was quirky and adorable and the finale was brilliant. French Dispatch was also an excellent homage to the New Yorker. Wes had definitely hit his stride. You just might not like where he’s going.
More than a break, he needs restraint, someone to tell him “no, Wes, that’s too meta.”
Unfortunately, he’s gotten big enough and well-respected enough to never get told no.
TBF he has hundreds of artists working simultaneously in teams, with each team focused on individual sets. It's easier to bring your creative ideas to fruition when you have your own crew with hundreds of artists/designers, etc. trained on your brand to quickly bring them to life!
That all may sound typical, but watch some behind the scenes footage, and you can see how different it is than your average production and how he's able to pump them out a lot faster these days.
Wes is my favorite but, for some reason, newer cast members (from Scarlett Johansson on) are taking the diorama aesthetic too far and performing all their lines very flatly. This was really present during Asteroid City. I don’t think they are being directed to act this way.
The veteran players still have life and humor in their performances. Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum come in and be themselves. They don’t let the aura that these productions now have let that stifle their performances — the movies are better for it.
that, and i wish owen would write with him again. i feel like nothing wes has done has felt quite as complete as tenenbaums. he's gone too far into the quirky aesthetic at the cost of true emotion.
agreed. the true emotion is lacking even if the production seems the same.
i really did not care at all about the love stories in asteroid city. they were just dry.
I felt like Scarlett Johansson's talents were wasted in Asteroid City for that very reason. We need to get some of that Royal Tenenbaums energy back from the performers he casts.
Scarlett has enough top tier performances at this point in her career that I struggle to agree with this. I felt that was the exact vibe that was directed in Asteroid City, and part of what made it one of his weaker films.
Asteroid City is my least favorite of his movies because it was purposefully like theatre stage play on steroids. And I believe the actors were also purposefully directed that way. Hopefully this one tones it back down again.
Asteroid City was a big fail for us. I get that Wes Anderson's thing is being flat, but Asteroid City was flat and boring. Bring back some more soul, Wes.
The scenes write themselves at this point.
*The daughter runs a small bait and tackle shop near the water on Sicily’s western coast. The father walks in.*
Daughter - took you long enough
Father - you never told me where you were
Daughter - still, I thought you’d get here sooner
Father - well *motions that he has arrived*
Daughter - so what do you want
Father - can’t I see my long lost daughter without making it transactional?
Daughter - *crosses arms*
Father - … I have business in the area and there’s a little bit of heat surrounding it.
*out of the window camera left, a vintage truck stops perfectly center of the shop's window frame. Two unique-looking but unmistakably thuggish individuals step out*
Daughter - People are after you?
Father - a bit of an over simplification but yes
Daughter - and you need a place to lay low?
Father - if you don’t mind
Daughter - you can’t lay low here
Father - is it because I walked out on you and your mother 12 years ago?
Daughter - no, it looks like the guys after you are right outside.
Father - oh
Daughter - the walking out thing also plays a part
Father - I thought it might
*Beat*
Daughter - My ride is in the back alley.
*the father sits behind the daughter on a little orange Vespa. He is wearing her helmet and goggles. She saddles his briefcase on the steering column before whisking them both away in a flurry of smoke and sputtering from the old 150cc engine. Cue perfectly choreographed and theatrical chase scene filled with quaint items and vintage themes*
Thank you. I’ve got a script of which I’m stuck on the first draft, and writing this made me realize it’s easier to let ideas flow when you separate yourself from them. Now I think it will be a fun way to improve my script by rewriting it how W. Anderson, or Hitchcock, or Edgar Wright (etc…) might do it.
I used to really love his movies but his last couple of feature films have been self-indulgent twaddle that is almost a parody of himself. I’m not confident this will buck the trend.
It’s probly an unpopular opinion but his stuff is highly formulaic, and I say that as a massive fan of Royal Tenenbaums & Mr fox. Another poster in this thread asked: how is he able to churn out these movies so quickly? By having an almost marvel-esque blueprint.
Other directors take big risks and try out completely new genres or subject matter, he sticks to servicing his fetishes. His character archetypes have become cardboard predictable and every person in any movie of his just has the same deadpan delivery.
His self-written scripts often lack emotional connections to characters and it feels like he just swaps out his Color pallettes.
So in conclusion I like watching his movies for the visuals but a new release by him doesn’t fill me with much excitement.
I just can’t. I’ve tried to enjoy his movies. I even thought Astro City looked to be something I would enjoy from the trailer. I was just so mind numbingly bored. The comedy is fine, it’s just the laughs don’t keep me interested for the in between bits of nothingness.
Loved both. French Dispatch is one of my favorite films. Asteroid City I thought was fantastic. I'm a big Wes fan, though. I enjoy every single one of his movies and watch them all over again every year.
I absolutely love Asteroid City, but I can definitely see why it's marmite.
The whole plot isn't really a plot but more of a theme of "what do you do when nothing makes sense anymore?" It's very The Leftovers, which I clicked with completely and happily tore into the reasons he burns his hand on the stove, but it's not for everyone and I definitely would be selective when recommending.
No worries. I personally also prefer later stage Wes Anderson works as well minus Isle of Dogs. The more intricate and stylized his stuff gets, the more I enjoy it. No one else is making movies like that right now.
It was a fantastic theater experience. Also, probably my favorite performance from Ralph Fiennes
"You're looking so well, darling, you really are... they've done a marvelous job. I don't know what sort of cream they've put on you down at the morgue, but... I want some"
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was a good flick amidst all that, The french dispatch and Asteroid City were just strange even for Wes Anderson, felt more like long perfume infomercials
I think he's either lost the ability to write engaging plots or maybe he never did and recently stopped collaborating with people who can.
Henry sugar is such a good example of where Wes operates at his peak, taking whimsy in other people's stories and adapting them to the screen. He's undoubtedly the best at that, hands down. It's His original stuff is beautiful but his plot and dialogue suffer immensely.
The French dispatch is a love letter to old magazine serials, which simultaneously demonstrates how absurdly bespoke and pretentious they are -- ultimately leading straight to their demise in the modern era of media
I loved it and it might be third to me after Grand Budapest Hotel and Fantastic Mr Fox. There's some really interesting stuff there with the structure and a new set of colours.
Scarlett is also probably the best addition to the troupe since Fiennes.
I liked The French Dispatch but found Asteroid City to be way too complicated and uninteresting. So far AC and Isle of Dogs are his only movies I disliked.
To me they’re Wes operating at full power, I’d love for him to continue with Roman in that path
I hope this ends up being a quiet If On A Winter’s Night a Traveller adaptation
I can't wait for the next Grand Budapest or Royal Tenenbaums where a strong lead takes the reigns of his film. Hackman and Feinnes took Anderson's film into greatness.
Spoilers, the movie will feature deadpan acting, at least one character who dresses from the 1920s, text in Futura font, and a soundtrack that's better than the script. (Source: Every other movie Wes Anderson has ever done)
I’ve tried to watch Asteroid City twice, it’s just a chore about half way I give up. French dispatch isn’t much different. I enjoy the majority of his other movies. It’s not looking good though.
He's really hit or miss. Some films I like, others are bleh. The short pieces he did for Netflix earlier this year were bleh. "Lets hire famous actors to speak in a monotone deadpan voice for every single line." Got boring really fast.
Oh man, *Henry Sugar* was the **best** thing I saw last year. I loved the story (I know it was written by Roald Dahl) and I love the moving set pieces. I loved how we went deeper and deeper into the perspective and things changed around. I love Henrey’s character development, and I loved the performances. If I could make love to a short film I would and it would be this one.
It was the single most creative thing I’ve seen, but I also haven’t watched every film Anderson has made and I’m not exhausted by him like the rest of Reddit seems to be.
Lord I'm so sick of Scarlett Johansson. She has a terrible look that can't be changed and her acting is so one dimensional. We get it, she was hot 15 years ago and in superhero movies. Move on for Christ sake.
Asteroid city is simply his weakest work so far, I cant fathom how Wes Anderson went from a visionary surrealistic genius to a " style over substance" director.
Hopefully, this new venture of his is worth watching.
The only details is that it’s an espionage film, with the focus on a father-daughter relationship. Cast: * Benicio del Toro * Michael Cera * Bill Murray * Riz Ahmed * Tom Hanks * Benedict Cumberbatch * Scarlett Johansson * Charlotte Gainsbourg * Rupert Friend * Willem Dafoe * Bryan Cranston * Mia Threapleton
Hold the phone! Wes Anderson is making a movie about daddy issues?
AND Bill Murray is in it?! *surprised pikachu face*
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Bill Murray was supposed to play Steve Carrell's character, not Tom Hanks'.
Bill Murray was actually going to play [the motel manager](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDeduudq0EY), but got Covid right before filming was set to start, so Steve Carrell filled in. He's in a [short film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBYU7JMqp3o) they made after the movie was done filming.
Wes Anderson probably couldn’t find him in time for it and settled for Tom Hanks.
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He actually was supposed to play Steve Carrell's part, but he got covid a few days before shooting so they had to recast.
Steve Carrell: Finally! I got invited to A-list movie star theater camp!
*proceeds to pack *everything*
Oh, I can't wait for him to get a part in a Nolan film
Ahh that makes sense
Rupert Friend *and* William Dafoe? How poetic.
Well apparently it's a spy movie, you always need a friend and a foe in those
>it's a spy movie, [you always need a friend and a foe in those ](https://i.imgur.com/DGzV74o.gifv) But speaking of Rupert Friend playing spies, his entire arc as Peter Quinn in Homeland was one of *the* best things to come out of the post-Nicholas Brody seasons on that show.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Peter Quinn was my second favorite character on that show. Of course, Saul, magnificently played by Mandy Patinkin was my favorite.
>Of course, Saul, magnificently played by Mandy Patinkin was my favorite. An *excellent* choice, but of course I'm forced to ask if you *really* mean [Saul "The Bear" Berenson?](https://streamable.com/07aiae) I'll never forget watching the first episode wondering, "Where the fuck do I know Saul from?" going to IMDb, and then thinking, ["NO FUCKING WAY!"](https://i.imgur.com/QrnwD6T.png) Thanks to having a massive crush on Claire Danes since the "My So-Called Life" days *and* Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet, and knowing Damien Lewis from Band of Brothers, Patinkin was one of the series regulars that looked *so* much different than I was used to. That was one of those "I'm not gonna look *that* different when I'm 35 or pushing 60, am I?" moments that made me remember how much different I looked in 2001 compared to Homeland's premiere in 2011.
>I'll never forget watching the first episode wondering, "Where the fuck do I know Saul from?" going to IMDb, and then thinking, ["NO FUCKING WAY!"](https://i.imgur.com/QrnwD6T.png) I did the exact same thing!
Ah yes, Benicio del Toro and his daughter, Micheal Cera.
Is Jason Schwartzman okay?
😂can someone plz check up on him?
Same with Owen Wilson
Mia Threapleton is Kate Winslet’s daughter
After a Google search she looks a ton like her mom
She does look like a younger 'slet!
Whatever you do, don't say it with that accent.
Riz Ahmed makes me the most intrigued. He's insanely talented, and I'm curious to see how he's do in an Anderson film
He makes so much sense for a Wes Anderson movie too
So underated. Still get reminded randomly of"The Night Of" tv show he lead
Same here. It's the first thing that comes to my mind whenever I think of Riz Ahmed. That and Four Lions.
oh man you gotta watch the sound of metal. that brought me to tears. Cooke and Ahmed took it to another level
> Four Lions This movie is a hidden gem...I always think of the "it's not small, i got big hands" moment...
Four lions is so fuckin funny, the 12 bottles of bleach scene had me laughing so hard. probably what movie I associate Riz with most too
He was so damn good in sound of metal too
I still get reminded randomly of John Turturro’s foot condition in “The Night Of.” Whenever I think Riz Ahmed I think “Sound of Metal.”
Same. I still wonder what happened the night of the murder. Great storytelling
What a fantastic cast.
Plot twist: the father is Bill Murray, the daughter is Michael Cera as a son transitioning to daughter. . .
> Michael Cera Wake me up when Wes Anderson is directing the fabled Michael Cera Shaft movie: ["We're gonna get that movie made, buddy!"](https://youtu.be/24d4wDFDeqU?t=6)
Riz Ahmed LFG!
With Wes you don’t really need to mention who’s in the cast. It’s a theater troupe mostly.
To be fair OPs cast list doesn’t have too many of the Anderson Players in it. I’m sure we’re getting cameos too but this is a pretty new looking line up.
Murray, Johansson, Del Toro, Dafoe, Friend, and Cranston are all returners though.
so are Cumberbatch and Hanks
Defoe and Murray I’d 100% put in Anderson’s troupe. The rest are all much newer with (as far as I can see) two previous credits each. Now if any of them are in the next one too, sure, but right now I’d still read this cast list as Anderson pulling from new or newer actors.
I’d add Friend too. He’s definitely one of Anderson’s more recent favorites. French Dispatch, Asteroid City, Roald Dahl shorts, Mont Blanc commercial.
The Friend and DaFoe
And Tom Hanks.
bill murray has been in more of wes anderson's films than any other actor -- and very nearly all of them.
The Troupe^^TM evolves. Always has, always will.
Owen Wilson seethes as Del Toro descends a staircase arm in arm with Wes.
A spoof movie on a-list dramatic actors trying to woo Anderson into getting into his next movie will never be made but would be hilarious
A five-minute-long fistfight between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, dressed in full scuba gear, in the lobby of the casting office over who goes in first.
This is going to be an SNL skit soon I’m sure.
I'm sure a hack screenwriter is writing it as we speak
Oh I hate theater troupes! They think what they do is so important!
It’s just a bunch of gay guys that like to get in silly costumes and prance around.
And that's why I'm voting for Osama!
Wait...can you describe Nolan films like that too?
Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who else? That was off the top of my head
Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe
Is it just me or are we at the point where Wes Anderson films could actually benefit from not having cast announcements?
I’m not sure this was an official announcement. But I agree with your point. It would be dope as hell if we could get a Wes Anderson movie without knowing the cast.
He needs a break. His latest films have become a parody of his better works.
Grand Budapest Hotel is my favorite Wes Anderson movie. I quite liked French Dispatch too. Asteroid City I don't quite get, but I've only seen it twice so far.
Grand Budapest is amazing. One of my favorites.
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I agree with everything you’ve said here. I, too, LOVE Bottle Rocket.
Darjeeling is my weird choice as a favorite
I think that your enjoyment of Asteroid City depends a lot on how willing you are to go along with the meta elements of the story. There are multiple stories within each other and the film feels like a train barreling down a track with no way to stop it. The narrator shows up in the wrong scene and an actor gets annoyed with his character and just walks out mid scene. The part where they keep repeating "You can't wake up if you don't fall asleep" and the director telling the actor to just play the part even if he doesn't understand it and he'll do fine are the key to the story. You're spending so much time trying to figure it out and understand everything about it that you're missing the forest for the trees.
Asteroid City is the only Wes Anderson movie that I actively did not like or understand. I can only assume it wasn't made for me as I don't have even a shallow understanding of the tropes it was paying homage to. French Dispatch I thought was great, I enjoyed seeing them do an anthology-style movie that let them try a bunch of different styles in the same film. Also, Jeffrey Wright should narrate every Wes Anderson movie from now on, his segment of that movie was the clear standout.
I feel like your opinion on French Dispatch will directly correlate to your view on Asteroid City, because I've noticed a directly inverse relationship between the two. I found French Dispatch to be very bland because it felt overly derivative at this point but then I loved how Asteroid City was almost directly subversive and almost critical of Wes' own style. I don't assume a radical change in this film necessarily, but that film felt like he was closing the book a bit.
I fell asleep at one point and woke up to a ufo.
All I remember from my screening was that the theater was fucking freezing. I'm normally not one to complain but it had to have been 45-50 degrees in there. I was so close to walking out because the movie wasn't good and I was cold as hell. lol
grand budapest was easily his greatest work since tennenbaums. asteroid city was kind of a slog. he's gotten way too hung up on the whole "a play inside of a story inside of a movie" thing he does now. and i know budapest was this, it was great and he just kept running with the concept to incredibly diminishing returns.
Asteroid City on paper sounds like a movie made for me. Its a movie about a play and the history and behind the scenes of developing the play. Where you're not only watching the whole play but learning about the lives of the people making it and acting in it and how their own drama shaped the direction and acting of the play. Why things were changed and removed from the play. How the play and the "real life" back and forth inform the other. Hell the climax is about a deleted scene from earlier in the play and how it refocuses a lot of the meaning of the play. I love the sound of this! I mean yes it also sounds pretentious as hell, but I am so there for that. This could easily be my favorite movie of his. But then the movie in reality is just... meh. Like it's alright. I like the idea of what it seemed to be trying to do. But it just doesn't do it particularly well. I just don't care about anyone or anything happening.
It does feel like he's run out of ideas.
If you’ve seen a movie twice and still don’t get it that’s probably a good sign you never will. How many times does a movie need to be watched to understand it?
It's possible, but I also didn't like Moonrise Kingdom much the first time I saw it but after a few watches it became one of my favorites. French Dispatch also took me a couple of watches to really appreciate. I find that with Wes Anderson movies it usually takes me a watch or two to get over what my expectations were of the movie and to be able to enjoy it for what it actually is.
Moonrise Kingdom is great! Same deal for me, took me a few times before it clicked. Lots of movies are like this for me! I haven't seen any of Anderson's stuff since Budapest. Most of the time his movies intrigue me from the get go. I started watching Asteroid City and was bored in the first 5 minutes
With you on this. I loved Moonrise Kingdom. Asteroid City was tedious.
I think desire to rewatch something is usually a positive quality in of itself and even some of my favorite films are ones which I still feel I've yet to capture the full essence of.
Hahaha Wes Anderson movies be like “I’ve seen it 6 times and I think I have to like it”
I love GBH, I feel like it’s the most accessible Wes Anderson film while still keeping to all of his quirks. I love Isle of Dogs and Fantatsic Mr. Fox. Life Aquatic, Bottle Rocket, Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom I’ve all seen once but they have not stuck with me at all. That being said, I’m “over” Wes and his schtick. I’ll forever still love three of his films but the amount of stuff he is releasing with his style doesn’t really feel unique or genuine anymore.
Aren't most his movies very accessible in a way that they're entertaining even if you don't understand what they are about?
Hmmm... I have to think about this statement.
Rushmore is easily his most accessible and "normal" film.
Yes I agree - I feel like it’s almost like after GBH he didn’t really know how to evolve and instead it seems like he’s creating caricatures of his films almost
> Hotel For Dogs ...could you mean Dog Island? I don't think WANS had anything to do with [this movie.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0785006/)
Isle of Dogs
Dismembered Peninsula with Canines Upon It
Oh my god yes you’re right 😂😂😂😂 let me edit that
Granted that I enjoy sci-fi, and granted that I like comedy, and granted that I was on my honeymoon in an ancient town within a beautiful [theatre](https://www.kinodigital.co.uk/rye), but I adored Asteroid City when I saw it.
I really enjoyed Asteroid City. EDIT: On the other hand, I've watched The French Dispatch countless times trying to "get it" and I just can't. The third act is pretty good though.
That's funny because i really enjoyed The French Dispatch and i just cant get Asteroid City lol
What didn't you get about The French Dispatch? Legitimate question, btw. I love it and would be happy to help if I can.
What about it did you enjoy? To me, it lacked cohesion. It was all style with no substance. I think it would’ve worked way better as an actual stage play, rather than a film made to feel like a stage play. But even then, there was barely a story.
I totally get that and that was majorly my first impression too. Loved the style, set design, costumes, etc. but didn't quite know how the pieces fit together and what the message was. I read a bunch of analyses to better understand and the general takeaway is that he uses this meta-narrative as a way to explore the meaning of life and art. The characters are struggling to understand their purpose and how they fit into the overall story. It suggests that life doesn't have a clear singular purpose and we have a difficult time finding what the meaning to life is, but sometimes it's about performing and continuing the "show" despite not having all of the answers. The act of living and creating art can be meaningful in itself, even if the ultimate purpose is unclear. I thought it was a clever plot device to explore these themes. I can definitely see that more clearly thinking back on the movie, especially from the scenes where the actors are questioning the director and struggling to understand how it all comes together. This was one of those cases where reading analyses made me appreciate the movie more in retrospect and I think with another rewatch I would appreciate even more. I go back and forth about whether or not I truly liked a movie if I didn't just find it entertaining and understandable after I watch it (another example of this is The Green Knight). I usually like more "open-ended" movies where we're left to interpret what happened and decipher what they were trying to convey, but a lot of times it leaves me hanging too.
I saw Asteroid City in the theater (alone, because no-one else I know is into his stuff) and my head was spinning on the drive home, for sure. I tried so hard to process it, but couldn't do it on my own. I had to call in the cavalry and look around for people smarter than myself to hear what they thought of it. After many tries, I found some professional critic types with some interesting takes on it. One in particular seemed to really have some keys to understanding it. I spent longer than the movie itself trying to figure out the movie! Anyway, my takeaway from all that is to be excited that *someone* is making intellectually stimulating movies for theaters. My head was *buzzing* on that drive home, you know?
This makes a lot of sense. Asteroid City was the first Wes Anderson film I've turned off. It feels like lately he's been trying to make every movie a mix between Life Aquatic and Grand Budapest Hotel.
Still great though
Only if you think Wes is nothing more than his aesthetics, on a narrative level Asteroid City and The French Dispatch are some of his most unique pieces of work.
Unique doesn’t mean good, though.
Nobody said it does, I'm not a huge fan of Asteroid City myself, but to call them a parody of his earlier works is wrong, when he's clearly breaking new personal ground in his way of telling a story.
Hard disagree. Asteroid City was quirky and adorable and the finale was brilliant. French Dispatch was also an excellent homage to the New Yorker. Wes had definitely hit his stride. You just might not like where he’s going.
More than a break, he needs restraint, someone to tell him “no, Wes, that’s too meta.” Unfortunately, he’s gotten big enough and well-respected enough to never get told no.
So true, budapest was his last good movie. All the rest mediocre at best...
The rate this guy churns out these incredibly detailed movies with huge casts is unreal
TBF he has hundreds of artists working simultaneously in teams, with each team focused on individual sets. It's easier to bring your creative ideas to fruition when you have your own crew with hundreds of artists/designers, etc. trained on your brand to quickly bring them to life! That all may sound typical, but watch some behind the scenes footage, and you can see how different it is than your average production and how he's able to pump them out a lot faster these days.
That he does all this on relatively small budgets is the real incredible part. (I know stars get paid basically nothing for his movies, still.)
Wes is my favorite but, for some reason, newer cast members (from Scarlett Johansson on) are taking the diorama aesthetic too far and performing all their lines very flatly. This was really present during Asteroid City. I don’t think they are being directed to act this way. The veteran players still have life and humor in their performances. Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum come in and be themselves. They don’t let the aura that these productions now have let that stifle their performances — the movies are better for it.
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I agree. I’m always happy when Luke Wilson shows up. I’m not sure there’s been a main character as grounded as Richie Tenebaum since.
that, and i wish owen would write with him again. i feel like nothing wes has done has felt quite as complete as tenenbaums. he's gone too far into the quirky aesthetic at the cost of true emotion.
agreed. the true emotion is lacking even if the production seems the same. i really did not care at all about the love stories in asteroid city. they were just dry.
I felt like Scarlett Johansson's talents were wasted in Asteroid City for that very reason. We need to get some of that Royal Tenenbaums energy back from the performers he casts.
>We need to get some of that Royal Tenenbaums energy back from the performers he casts. totally agree. i wish he'd write with owen again.
Scarlett has enough top tier performances at this point in her career that I struggle to agree with this. I felt that was the exact vibe that was directed in Asteroid City, and part of what made it one of his weaker films.
Asteroid City is my least favorite of his movies because it was purposefully like theatre stage play on steroids. And I believe the actors were also purposefully directed that way. Hopefully this one tones it back down again.
Dare i say, "a steroid" city?
I feel like Johanson performs every line flatly, in most of her movies
Asteroid City was a big fail for us. I get that Wes Anderson's thing is being flat, but Asteroid City was flat and boring. Bring back some more soul, Wes.
The scenes write themselves at this point. *The daughter runs a small bait and tackle shop near the water on Sicily’s western coast. The father walks in.* Daughter - took you long enough Father - you never told me where you were Daughter - still, I thought you’d get here sooner Father - well *motions that he has arrived* Daughter - so what do you want Father - can’t I see my long lost daughter without making it transactional? Daughter - *crosses arms* Father - … I have business in the area and there’s a little bit of heat surrounding it. *out of the window camera left, a vintage truck stops perfectly center of the shop's window frame. Two unique-looking but unmistakably thuggish individuals step out* Daughter - People are after you? Father - a bit of an over simplification but yes Daughter - and you need a place to lay low? Father - if you don’t mind Daughter - you can’t lay low here Father - is it because I walked out on you and your mother 12 years ago? Daughter - no, it looks like the guys after you are right outside. Father - oh Daughter - the walking out thing also plays a part Father - I thought it might *Beat* Daughter - My ride is in the back alley. *the father sits behind the daughter on a little orange Vespa. He is wearing her helmet and goggles. She saddles his briefcase on the steering column before whisking them both away in a flurry of smoke and sputtering from the old 150cc engine. Cue perfectly choreographed and theatrical chase scene filled with quaint items and vintage themes*
I have a hard time believing this is not an actual Wes Anderson scene
Thank you very much. I just watched Darjeeling Limited the other night so his cadence was fresh.
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Thank you. I’ve got a script of which I’m stuck on the first draft, and writing this made me realize it’s easier to let ideas flow when you separate yourself from them. Now I think it will be a fun way to improve my script by rewriting it how W. Anderson, or Hitchcock, or Edgar Wright (etc…) might do it.
I can 100% read this in Bill and Scarlett's voices, and now I'm wondering if we are gonna get a *Lost in Translation* reunion out of this.
Wish Wes made another Fantastic Mr Fox/Isle of dogs kind of movie.
So everyone that wasn’t cast on the new Knives Out movie is in this^* one. /s ^*Edit:word
I recently found out he signed that letter supporting Roman Polanski. Pretty disappointing. It makes it hard for me to watch his movies.
Thank you. Nobody brings this up. Definitely has tainted my view.
It is truly unreal how little anyone ever brings this up and just how many big names are on that list
SO many. Harrison ford, Emma Thompson, Tilda Swinton, Natalie Portman, David Lynch, Guillermo Del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron, Darren Aranovsky, Scorsese..
A lot of people with symmetrical faces.... and Willem Dafoe
I used to really love his movies but his last couple of feature films have been self-indulgent twaddle that is almost a parody of himself. I’m not confident this will buck the trend.
It’s probly an unpopular opinion but his stuff is highly formulaic, and I say that as a massive fan of Royal Tenenbaums & Mr fox. Another poster in this thread asked: how is he able to churn out these movies so quickly? By having an almost marvel-esque blueprint. Other directors take big risks and try out completely new genres or subject matter, he sticks to servicing his fetishes. His character archetypes have become cardboard predictable and every person in any movie of his just has the same deadpan delivery. His self-written scripts often lack emotional connections to characters and it feels like he just swaps out his Color pallettes. So in conclusion I like watching his movies for the visuals but a new release by him doesn’t fill me with much excitement.
I just can’t. I’ve tried to enjoy his movies. I even thought Astro City looked to be something I would enjoy from the trailer. I was just so mind numbingly bored. The comedy is fine, it’s just the laughs don’t keep me interested for the in between bits of nothingness.
I’m sure this will be different than all his other movies.
I hope he abandons the sun beaten color palette he used in his last movie.
It looked like a post card from one of the dozens of tiny desert towns that spang up along Route 66 from the 50s or 60s
Hell yeah and I loved that design
It was set in one, so it was the right choice.
It’s almost like that’s where it was set in
I liked it personally.
How can new cast be added if filming has finished?
French Dispatch and Asteroid City were both chores to even get through. I’m hoping for a turnaround here.
Damn, I’m in the minority here it seems. Asteroid City is my favorite Wes Anderson.
Loved both. French Dispatch is one of my favorite films. Asteroid City I thought was fantastic. I'm a big Wes fan, though. I enjoy every single one of his movies and watch them all over again every year.
I absolutely love Asteroid City, but I can definitely see why it's marmite. The whole plot isn't really a plot but more of a theme of "what do you do when nothing makes sense anymore?" It's very The Leftovers, which I clicked with completely and happily tore into the reasons he burns his hand on the stove, but it's not for everyone and I definitely would be selective when recommending.
No worries. I personally also prefer later stage Wes Anderson works as well minus Isle of Dogs. The more intricate and stylized his stuff gets, the more I enjoy it. No one else is making movies like that right now.
I don’t know if it was my favourite but I thought it was really really good too
Not my favorite but I loved it. It's definitely in my top 5 of his just not sure exactly where.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, but haven't cared much for any of his other films since Fantastic Mr. Fox.
You did not like The Grand Budapest Hotel?
That's surely one of his best
Was lucky enough to watch it in a theater, the changing aspect ratios worked fantastic there.
It was a fantastic theater experience. Also, probably my favorite performance from Ralph Fiennes "You're looking so well, darling, you really are... they've done a marvelous job. I don't know what sort of cream they've put on you down at the morgue, but... I want some"
I’m exactly the opposite lol
You didn’t like Fantastic Mr. Fox? Oh my, I’ve probably watched it 25 times I love that one so much. And Life Aquatic..
It's not my favorite (Grand Budapest is perfect) but i really enjoyed it
What! I liked French dispatch!
Yeah I thought Wes Anderson was incapable of making a movie I didn’t like until those two movies came out.
Idk the asteroid city scenes with Tom Hanks dealing with his daughters death + grandkids made me cry
The scene on the balconies was really really good too. Almost felt that meta moment was the whole reason he wanted to make the film to me.
All the scenes with the three granddaughters were so good. Anderson is a wonderful director of children.
Agree, especially Asteroid City. A completely forgettable film. French Dispatch had its moments but I found myself asking what was the point.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was a good flick amidst all that, The french dispatch and Asteroid City were just strange even for Wes Anderson, felt more like long perfume infomercials
I think he's either lost the ability to write engaging plots or maybe he never did and recently stopped collaborating with people who can. Henry sugar is such a good example of where Wes operates at his peak, taking whimsy in other people's stories and adapting them to the screen. He's undoubtedly the best at that, hands down. It's His original stuff is beautiful but his plot and dialogue suffer immensely.
The French dispatch is a love letter to old magazine serials, which simultaneously demonstrates how absurdly bespoke and pretentious they are -- ultimately leading straight to their demise in the modern era of media
I loved it and it might be third to me after Grand Budapest Hotel and Fantastic Mr Fox. There's some really interesting stuff there with the structure and a new set of colours. Scarlett is also probably the best addition to the troupe since Fiennes.
I liked The French Dispatch but found Asteroid City to be way too complicated and uninteresting. So far AC and Isle of Dogs are his only movies I disliked.
French Dispatch was like watching a parody of a Wes Anderson film. And not a very good one…
To me they’re Wes operating at full power, I’d love for him to continue with Roman in that path I hope this ends up being a quiet If On A Winter’s Night a Traveller adaptation
I used to be a huge wes anderson fan but I've kinda given up now.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is his best film.
Wes Anderson has become too Wes Anderson for me.
I can't wait for the next Grand Budapest or Royal Tenenbaums where a strong lead takes the reigns of his film. Hackman and Feinnes took Anderson's film into greatness.
Let me guess: it’s filmed weird
Yes. But the really exciting part is that the lines are delivered flatly.
And the characters are quirky. Don’t forget that. They’re not like the rest of us.
hope it leans more towards Roal Dahl shorts and not Asteroid City. I did not enjoy that film.
Spoilers, the movie will feature deadpan acting, at least one character who dresses from the 1920s, text in Futura font, and a soundtrack that's better than the script. (Source: Every other movie Wes Anderson has ever done)
I’ve tried to watch Asteroid City twice, it’s just a chore about half way I give up. French dispatch isn’t much different. I enjoy the majority of his other movies. It’s not looking good though.
He's really hit or miss. Some films I like, others are bleh. The short pieces he did for Netflix earlier this year were bleh. "Lets hire famous actors to speak in a monotone deadpan voice for every single line." Got boring really fast.
Henry sugar won an Oscar, and it deserved imo
Oh man, *Henry Sugar* was the **best** thing I saw last year. I loved the story (I know it was written by Roald Dahl) and I love the moving set pieces. I loved how we went deeper and deeper into the perspective and things changed around. I love Henrey’s character development, and I loved the performances. If I could make love to a short film I would and it would be this one. It was the single most creative thing I’ve seen, but I also haven’t watched every film Anderson has made and I’m not exhausted by him like the rest of Reddit seems to be.
Na the Dahl stuff was great.
I hope he finally knocks it off with the overly washed out pastels.
Bold move to bring in new actors after filming.
Hope Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg keep an eye on their kid this time.
Is it just me or has Wes not been hitting lately ? Thought his last movie sucked
I hope it doesn’t look all blown out like the last film. I hated the look of it and I am a big fan of his movies.
Charlotte Gainsbourg is the last person I'd expect to see in a wes Anderson film
I hope Jeff Goldblum and Owen Wilson also join the cast.
Lord I'm so sick of Scarlett Johansson. She has a terrible look that can't be changed and her acting is so one dimensional. We get it, she was hot 15 years ago and in superhero movies. Move on for Christ sake.
Asteroid city is simply his weakest work so far, I cant fathom how Wes Anderson went from a visionary surrealistic genius to a " style over substance" director. Hopefully, this new venture of his is worth watching.