As a fan and follower of Wes Anderson’s filmography, it might be expected that this would be my favorite film of 2023 so far. But bias aside, this may well ending up being my favorite film of the year just because it’s wonderful and I love it. ‘Twas highly anticipated and it did not disappoint.
Like most Anderson films, many more viewings will be necessary in order to better catch the rapid-fire dialogue, the subtleties, the nuances, the myriad of little things happening in the background, and the tiny details of things that flash before the eye at 24 frames per second. I’m confident each time around will be all the richer and shalt uncover things not seen or caught the time before, like a roadrunner that moves too quickly and cleverly to trap.
So many thoughts and so much to unpack like a neglected suitcase brought home from a whirlwind of tourist trap whatnots and postcards….but here are a scant few, for now.
The Eloquent Speech of Jeffrey Wright
If I actually listened to audio books, I would want Jeffrey Wright to narrate them all. I could listen to this guy read the phone book. In fact, you should read this Substack post mentally in his snappy and whimsical baritone, twinging with the lilts and ‘liloquies of a master thespian graced with dignity and word usements snapping off the tongue like a sonic campfire.
The Cast of Usual Suspects and New Initiates
One should expect the likes of Jason Scharwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Bob Balaban, Edward Norton and others to grace a Wes Anderson film with their presence — in fact, their absence at this point would possibly disrupt the fabric of the universe (and of course, Bill Murray almost threw the galaxy off its axis but they managed to save us from obliteration). I would venture to say this is my favorite company of players to join the Anderson menagerie in a long time, with the likes of Maya Hawke, Sophia Lillis, Stephen Carrell and even Tom Hanks fitting right in with their idiosyncratic delivery and countenance.
The Three Fates
Equally welcome to the Anderson mythos are the Faris Triplets who bring witchy sisters Pandora, Andromeda, and Cassiopeia to life in such a manner that I would welcome a spin-off cinema capsule of these spell-casting fates wrecking havoc on the world, even perhaps as teenagers.
The Alien
This was the moment of hilarity when I knew this film was made just for me, and the Google image fairy does not bring up many algorithms of his visual appearance perhaps due to government regulations, but it’s best that you witness this glorious moment for yourself with no spoilers regardless.
The Soundtrack
It’s always expected for an Anderson film to be graced with quirky vintage tunes and a bouncy Desplat score, but the songs in ASTEROID CITY struck my heart in an exceptional way. I am dismayed at the time of this particular post that it’s not available on iTunes as of yet, perhaps due to delays of some aggravating business nature, but it can be enjoyed on Spotify at least for the time being. ‘Tis not my preference and I await a remedy to the grievous error inflicted upon in this sonic track collector’s OCD tendencies.
Close Encounters of the Nerd Kind
There are allusions aplenty to other UFO stories of the cinematic realm, and Steven Spielberg is even thanked in the credits of ASTEROID CITY for some unknown reason. A keen connoisseur of film may even notice echoes and nods to Tim Burton’s wondrous romp MARS ATTACKS! through its southwestern desert setting and usage of Slim Whitman’s Indian Love Call.
But more importantly, there are spiritual threads of ambience in how the mystery of UFOs are used as a metaphor for secrets of heavenly angelic realms — and how the emotions and longings of its cast twinge upon questions of meaning, love, community, storytelling, and grace.
ASTEROID CITY is undoubtedly Anderson’s most Christ-haunted picture since MOONRISE KINGDOM, showing up in visages of everything from extra-terrestrials and incarnational miniature sets to the joyful dance of a roadrunner brought to life through the magic of digital Bunraku puppetry.
All things considered, this is top 5 Anderson for me and time will tell how much it may ebb and flow within my personal ranking. ‘Tis a tall order to dislodge my beloved MR. FOX and MOONRISE KINGDOM from their locked-in top spots, at least at this present moment in Year of Our Lord 2023, but there are more mysteries on heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One certainty you can count on, I will be peeling away layers and thinking about ASTEROID CITY for a long time to come. Go see it.