I think I am finished with Wes Anderson.  The filmmaker who has become a cult favorite among both actors who love to work with him and audiences who adore his whimsical creations has never been more popular.  But after a strong start I have found less and less to enjoy about his wacky and ultimately pointless adventures.  This one, which has an intriguing science-fictional premise, is, for me at least, beyond the pale.

Wes Anderson’s film takes place in Asteroid City, a tiny desert town of 87 residents (most of whom are never seen and must live in caves) where a small scientific conclave is interrupted when an alien stops by to visit and steal a meteorite.  The military moves in, nobody is allowed to leave, and eventually the alien returns, after which things to back to their weird normality.  Oh, and the entire piece is presented as a theatrical project, with lots of backstage glimpses of how it is put together.  It’s completely, utterly artificial.

While the premise is interesting and the cast is phenomenal, there is nothing meaningful, valuable or even convincing about this pastiche.  Details abound, like the highway ramp to nowhere, but they have no connection to anything real.  Anderson’s little universe is insular, whimsical and ridiculous to a fault; to many faults, to my way of thinking.  The worst part is the framing device, which renders everything not only artificial but unimportant.  Why would you start such a story telling the audience that it is not real in any way, not to be taken seriously.  Fine, I won’t take it seriously.

I do enjoy Anderson’s method of filming; his static frames, slow panning shots, unwillingness to cut quickly.  But he should take the medium seriously and tell a story in a way that doesn’t remind the audience how artificial his silly imagination really is.  Sometimes his approach can work, as in his animated feature Isle of Dogs.  But with real actors he should try to make a real movie, especially with this cast.  What a waste.  ☆.  6 July 2023.