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This is the thread about the movie about the play with the name Asteroid City.  Bit surprised there wasn't a thread about this yet considering it's been out for a week. CineD is slipping! Starring probably the best ensamble cast this side of 2020, featuring Tom Hanks, Adrian Brody, Scarlett Johansson, Willem Defoe, Margot Robbie, Brian Cranston, , and quite a few more, the move is, as mentioned, about a play taking place in a town called Asteroid city where an eclectic group of people are visiting for a science convention, when a quarantine is issued due to a visit from an extraterrestial. The movie often reminds you of this framing by switching between the stage of the play and the play itself, with the former being shot in black and white, while the latter is filmed in bright pastel colors where teal and orange dominate the screen, with intentionally flat looking sets and fantastical props. It's one part existentialism, one part meta--storytelling about the act of writing and performing a play, and one part Wes Andersons trademark quirkyness Curious to hear your thoughts on the Wessest Andersonest movie yet
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Jun 29, 2023 00:57
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Just saw it, immediately want to see it again because I wasn't hyper fixated like I normally am with movies I like, feel like I only got about twenty percent of it. Beautiful movie. I liked how, after the father photographer was given the advice to do less "business" with the pipe etc, the actor was much more subdued in the next scene Also, the black and white scenes are also parts of the production? No? Like the cabin scene where the actor meets the writer and the improv session that breaks the forth wall? The marlon brando (?) character getting a divorce, is he only ever back stage? or does he have a counterpart in the main narrative? Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 05:37 on Jun 29, 2023 |
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Jun 29, 2023 05:34
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Jack B Nimble posted:The marlon brando (?) character getting a divorce, is he only ever back stage? or does he have a counterpart in the main narrative? He is the play’s director. This is a wonderful movie, easily one of my favourite Wes flicks. Of course it’s gorgeously-shot, has world-class production design, and an incredible cast - that poo poo is par for the course - but I also found it by far one of his funniest, laughing out loud constantly (I’ve seen people say they didn’t really find it funny or that it made them smile but not laugh and I can’t relate at all!), and it’s also one of his most thematically dense. Of course there’s a lot about grief, a subject Anderson has dealt with frequently, but there’s also so much about embracing the unknown - amusing from such a controlled methodical filmmaker - and quite a strong confrontation and defence of artifice in storytelling, which is far more self-aware than I ever imagined he would be. It is one of his more opaque flicks (akin to French Dispatch), so you have to work harder for this stuff and that will definitely not be to everyone’s taste, but I found it just as emotionally resonant as his more heart-on-sleeve work, especially the scene near the end with Schwartzman and Margot Robbie. I’m actually writing this while the ads play before my second viewing because I just wanted to see it again so so badly!
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Jun 29, 2023 16:20
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Yeah, I had a few laughs but I was struggling enough to understand it that I think it kept a lot of the humor from hitting as well it should. I bet I find it funnier the second time.
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Jun 29, 2023 17:00
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This movie whipped rear end I loved every second
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Jun 29, 2023 19:08
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Jack B Nimble posted:
Yes, all the black and white scenes are from "the real world" so to speak, while everything in color is from the actual play itself Escobarbarian posted:He is the play’s director. I found it hilarious. Rarely more than a few minutes without me laughing at something. Certainly one of the funnier movies 've seen this year
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Jun 29, 2023 22:35
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Tom Hanks holding like 6 itty bitty martinis was perfect
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Jun 29, 2023 22:44
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Jack B Nimble posted:Also, the black and white scenes are also parts of the production? No? Like the cabin scene where the actor meets the writer and the improv session that breaks the forth wall? One thing I noticed on rewatch is that Cranston at the very beginning says, unless I severely misinterpreted, that Asteroid City the play was, in the universe of the movie, completely invented for the TV show he’s hosting. So basically none of the “backstage” stuff is even meant to have actually happened at all, everything was invented for the special, even the characters of the actors playing the characters in Asteroid City the play and their various stories. Another really fascinating layer of artifice on top of it all.
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Jun 29, 2023 23:45
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Just saw this for the first time today and I enjoyed it. That said I do think the whole layers of the making of the play might have been a bit too much, my mother who went with me was thoroughly confused and I had a few moments when I couldn't tell who was supposed to be who. Anderson seemed to be aware of the potential for confusion however, as seen in the scene when Bryan Cranston's character appears next to Scarlett Johansson and Hope Davis and the three of them realize he shouldn't be there.
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Jun 30, 2023 02:46
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Came here just to post a lol at the title
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Jun 30, 2023 04:07
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Nice little detail someone caught: https://www.tumblr.com/publicdomainbooksdevotee/721414251464605696/
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Jun 30, 2023 07:22
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Only thing I'm not sure of is the improv class at the end. Though I guess that's kind of the point given the other actors saying 'what does that even mean?' And 'who cares?'
Macdeo Lurjtux fucked around with this message at 03:49 on Jul 1, 2023 |
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Jun 30, 2023 17:47
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Escobarbarian posted:One thing I noticed on rewatch is that Cranston at the very beginning says, unless I severely misinterpreted, that Asteroid City the play was, in the universe of the movie, completely invented for the TV show he’s hosting. So basically none of the “backstage” stuff is even meant to have actually happened at all, everything was invented for the special, even the characters of the actors playing the characters in Asteroid City the play and their various stories. Another really fascinating layer of artifice on top of it all.  I came in at the tow truck scene and my friend told me that Cranston just said this was a play.
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Jun 30, 2023 17:52
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Macdeo Lurjtux posted:Only thing I'm not sure of is [spoiler] the improv class at the end. Though I guess that's kind of the point given the other actors saying 'what does that even mean?' And 'who cares?' This is arguably the most “difficult” thing in any of Wes’ movies to date. I really like that he doesn’t fully explain it, but I got a lot of extra meaning from reading the full lyrics to the song of the same name Jarvis Cocker wrote for the movie: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jarviscocker/youcantwakeupifyoudontfallasleep.html
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Jun 30, 2023 20:36
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I want to like this more than I did. Love love loved the world, the characters. The three daughters were impeccable every scene they were in. Tom Hanks and Scarlett Jo were also incredible. Jeff Goldblum as the alien backstage, loving perfect. Bryan Cranston as a Rod Sterling, appearing in the bottom corner of the scenes, perfect. The roadrunner was delightful. but... I had a hard time getting what Jason Schwartz was doing. He was fine, but the scenes with Scarlett Jo were hard to get into, as she was acting circles around him. Her subtle movements in the bathtub scene in particular really sold the dialog even though she was delivering it in that dead-pan way. Meanwhile, when she asks him to re-read a line with grief, all Jason does is lower his brow a bit and mostly deliver it the same way. Maybe that was intentional? I think it was as the actor is complaining about not knowing how to play him? But it's odd that's the only detail outside Cranston showing up that one time that bridges the realities. And ultimately to hang the whole movie on an unenjoyable character/performance. It's like, I see what you did, but it was much less entertaining than everything else you were showing me so why did you do that. The biggest disappointment was the anti-climax tho. I just didn't care that much about Jason's character, so that he did a 30 second McGuffin wacky scene and left that as the sole payoff for all the movies build ups... it just felt like a waste. Or at worst the movie poking at the viewer for being invested in the world it's built. Certainly that was point, but it doesn't make it any less unsatisfying. Life Aquatic has a lot of stilted characters, but also has a pirate rescue mission, a cathartic revelation scene, and a banger epilogue. This had a quiet shrug. Do look forward to watching it again sometime. I'm sure there's a bunch of hidden gems in the mile-a-minute dialog. Like... mmmmalo posted:Nice little detail someone caught: ...which poo poo. That's it isn't it. I missed this line of dialog and stuck around til the end of the credits waiting for a puppet coyote to show up. CatstropheWaitress fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Jul 1, 2023 |
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Jul 1, 2023 05:12
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I was too busy thinking about what was going on to pay attention to Margot Robbie's words, so I'll have to rewatch it. Pretty much every metatextual scene demands that I scrutinize each line again.
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Jul 1, 2023 14:23
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I am inclined to like Wes Anderson movies and there were several points where I was tempted to just leave the theater. I wasn't offended, just bored. I felt like the movie wanted to do things, but not commit to them. It felt like the screenplay, or stageplay, or whatever needed more time in the oven.
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Jul 1, 2023 23:36
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Really enjoyed it, might be my favorite Wes Anderson, I understand the bad reviews better now because it very much a movie that is a lot of meta commentary and it's direct commentary is pretty much "get it? It's meta!" Which is sold gold
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Jul 1, 2023 23:40
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Gumball Gumption posted:Really enjoyed it, might be my favorite Wes Anderson, I understand the bad reviews better now because it very much a movie that is a lot of meta commentary and it's direct commentary is pretty much "get it? It's meta!" Surprised by this opinion. Ultimately it seems you agree that he basically sabotaged his own film for that message, and I have to ask, was that commentary worth no payoff? /what other Anderson flicks ya saw.
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Jul 2, 2023 07:23
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CatstropheWaitress posted:Surprised by this opinion. Eh, I wouldn't say sabotage since the conversation at the end with the actress gives you the payoff while re-enforcing the meta-commentary. I like that it blends both well and I enjoy how much nonsense it has in its commentary on old films, film making, and so on. The singing cowboys and the alien song are a delight. The very end is both wtf nonsense to push the idea of things just happening and you move on while also being a bunch of the characters directly telling you one of the main messages of the film. My previous favorite was Rushmore and I've seen everything except the French Dispatch. I prefer his earlier stuff generally and I felt like everything with the Darjeeling Limited and on were more style over substance while for whatever reason this felt like more of a combo of his earlier and later works into something I really enjoyed. Also tbh the model work and puppet work really help me love it. Edit: In regards to your earlier comment too, I think by the time we reached the climax of the play I wasn't invested in the story of the play but in the story of the movie and so that didn't bother me much. Gumball Gumption fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Jul 2, 2023 |
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Jul 2, 2023 19:53
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Gumball Gumption posted:Eh, I wouldn't say sabotage since the conversation at the end with the actress gives you the payoff while re-enforcing the meta-commentary. I like that it blends both well and I enjoy how much nonsense it has in its commentary on old films, film making, and so on. The singing cowboys and the alien song are a delight. The very end is both wtf nonsense to push the idea of things just happening and you move on while also being a bunch of the characters directly telling you one of the main messages of the film. My previous favorite was Rushmore and I've seen everything except the French Dispatch. I prefer his earlier stuff generally and I felt like everything with the Darjeeling Limited and on were more style over substance while for whatever reason this felt like more of a combo of his earlier and later works into something I really enjoyed. That payoff might have worked better if it wasn't done in a single breathless word vomit. Had the same problems with this that I did with French Dispatch. Splintered narrative and pacing issues. LostRook fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Jul 2, 2023 |
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Jul 2, 2023 20:01
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I read the Jacobin review of the film and it was very funny to see the reviewer lashing out at the dancing roadrunner as this irreverent chaos agent despoiling the narrative world of its emotional weight. Resonated nicely with the film's anxious responses to the silly alien
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Jul 3, 2023 15:45
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CatstropheWaitress posted:but... I had a hard time getting what Jason Schwartz was doing. He was fine, but the scenes with Scarlett Jo were hard to get into, as she was acting circles around him. Her subtle movements in the bathtub scene in particular really sold the dialog even though she was delivering it in that dead-pan way. Meanwhile, when she asks him to re-read a line with grief, all Jason does is lower his brow a bit and mostly deliver it the same way. I understood that character as Wes Anderson's outlet for some of his own feelings around grief and human connection. he can capture wondrous things with his camera, share with the world powerful emotional images (of war, of Scarlett Jo), but can't express himself fully human to human. casting him as an actor required to emote in he framing device is an ironic wink.
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Jul 3, 2023 15:56
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mmmmalo posted:I read the Jacobin review of the film and it was very funny to see the reviewer lashing out at the dancing roadrunner as this irreverent chaos agent despoiling the narrative world of its emotional weight. Resonated nicely with the film's anxious responses to the silly alien I don't really know how else to describe it but sometimes Wes Anderson's stuff feels like someone trying to make a live action cartoon, so having a literal meep-meeping roadrunner puppet wandering around aimlessly after his coyote got smushed by a bus really just reinforced that notion for me lol.
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Jul 3, 2023 16:02
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Saw this and as weird as it sounds it kinda feels like he's lazily retreated into this detached ironic pastiche? Like every scene you don't see but hear described sounds infinitely more compelling than the play-within-a-play but he doesn't seem interested in shooting scenes like that anymore? It just kind of fell flat, and I say this as someone who has seen The Royal Tenenbaums twenty or more times
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Jul 5, 2023 02:13
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Wes Anderson makes movies like a guy who has heard about what movies are but never actually seen one. That said, I loved it. The message was strong and the acting was great, especially the acting within the acting, and ESPECIALLY the acting within the acting within the acting. Good movie glad I saw it A+ favorite of the year I've seen so far.
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Jul 5, 2023 02:54
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I really disliked this movie!
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Jul 5, 2023 05:31
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Grem posted:Wes Anderson makes movies like a guy who has heard about what movies are but never actually seen one. But he used to, that's the thing! Grand Budapest Hotel is an expertly-made film full of good performances even if you excise the few minutes of narrative framing, but now the framing has totally subsumed the film. Like, imagine if instead of actually watching the scene where Gustave is killed by fascists they just had Edward Norton (playing the assistant director for the theatrical adaptation of the book) stare straight forward and list off what the stage directions for that scene would have been. Sucks!
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Jul 5, 2023 17:57
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I absolutely loved this movie, I walked out of the theater and was already wondering when it would be available to watch again at home. The framing device was my favorite part. We take a play and transform it into a movie. Then the writing of the play is itself transformed into a play, complete with an omnipresent narrator. It's fun but also extremely poignant at several points. When Midge tells Augie he has to channel his grief, it's Jones Hall channeling his grief over Conrad into Augie grieving over his dead wife. Just wild stuff, really fun to see that in a movie.
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Jul 5, 2023 18:11
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I loved the framing devices, it gave the formality an extra level of surreality and made me think a lot about all of the things that go on in our brains, driving our actions, that we're not conscious of. This and The French Dispatch both gave me Greenaway vibes in how it depicts people being trapped by the fictional roles they create for themselves to play (also like Satre's bad-faith waiter), as well as a kind of Nabokov thing where the things that are being obscured, left out, or replaced are a significant narrative element. Then there's the fact that the fake writer of the fake play is a pseudo-Tennessee Williams, who pretty famously submerged his experiences as a gay man in plays about straight people, and his lover is playing the lead, etc etc - there's so much! And that's not even getting into the quarantine elements. Also, it might be the funniest Wes Anderson movie I've seen. He's only gotten better at comic timing and there were very few scenes that didn't elicit at least one good laugh from the audience I saw this with (for some reason, the bit with the girls throwing all the trash out of the car really got me).
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Jul 5, 2023 18:53
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I thought it was just ok. I also did not understand the "cant wake up if you dont go to sleep" edit - it may have been the person next to me in the theater who laughed literally every 5 seconds at the loudest volume i've ever heard. Missed 25% of the dialogue because of her. bows1 fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Jul 5, 2023 |
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Jul 5, 2023 21:04
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I didn't understand the point of this movie. Like what is it about at the end.
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Jul 6, 2023 05:28
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Guacamayo posted:I didn't understand the point of this movie. Like what is it about at the end. Grief, I think. How we all deal with it in different ways. Sometimes you bury it deeply to ignore it, sometimes you channel it into art, and sometimes you use it to grow as a person.
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Jul 6, 2023 12:49
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I took it to be about accepting that you can't control everything in your life, or do everything by yourself, and that accepting and making peace with your own limitations/boundaries is essential to being able to move forward.
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Jul 6, 2023 21:18
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A Fancy Hat posted:I absolutely loved this movie, I walked out of the theater and was already wondering when it would be available to watch again at home. It hits VOD next week on the 11th.
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Jul 7, 2023 02:29
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I feel like this movie is Anderson's response to his critics, and that response is, "Yeah, I know." Good stuff.
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Jul 7, 2023 03:59
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I love Wes Anderson's movies, and I'd say in every single other one I found the act of watching the movie to be straightforwardly fun in itself. This one I didn't feel that way, but I'm still fascinated by it and it's leaving me a lot to think about. I almost never want to rewatch movies when they're fresh in my mind but this one I really want to give another go at soon. I couldn't help but connect it to Synecdoche, NY, with its portrayal of artists blurring the lines between reality and fiction and the almost insane difficulty to keep track of everything being seemingly intentional.
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Jul 7, 2023 08:58
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Looking back a week or so later it feels like this was a gorgeous movie I didn't understand, but a second showing sounds like a chore. That's not good, but "is pretty" is like half of my movie criteria, so I'd say I'm evenly split.
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Jul 7, 2023 15:33
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Guacamayo posted:I didn't understand the point of this movie. Like what is it about at the end. its about the emergence of american method and the high water mark of modernism in the wake of the korean war
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Jul 9, 2023 02:05
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bows1 posted:I thought it was just ok. The black and white scenes as a whole call a lot of things forward. The last of them ends with Aggie waking up. The teleplay was, in my mind, his dreaming mind trying to make sense of the past week. His brain was telling him a story in his sleep to make sense of the crazy everything going on.
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Jul 10, 2023 02:51
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