Asteroid City (English) Movie Review: On the whole, ASTEROID CITY will appeal to a niche section of the audience.

ASTEROID CITY is the story of a mysterious town in the middle of nowhere. In the 1950s, war photojournalist Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) arrives in the desert town of Asteroid City with his son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) and three daughters to attend a youth astronomy convention. Augie’s wife has died, and he hasn’t informed his children about it. His father-in-law Stanley (Tom Hanks), who detests Augie, tells the latter not to hide about their mother’s demise from his children. The others who arrive at Asteroid City for the convention are actress Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), her daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards), five-star General Grif Gibson (Jeffrey Wright), astronomer Dr. Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton), a busload of elementary-school children, young teacher June Douglas (Maya Hawke), singer Montana (Rupert Friend) and his band members, etc. A local motel, managed by a gentleman (Steve Carell), provides everyone’s accommodations. All is going well, and the convention begins. All hell breaks loose when an alien suddenly turns up. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola’s story is bizarre but could have made for an interesting film. Wes Anderson’s screenplay is imaginative but only in parts. A lot of scenes don’t have the desired impact. The dialogues are decent. In the absence of subtitles, viewers might find it difficult to catch certain dialogues that are speedily mouthed by some characters.

Wes Anderson’s direction is not up to the mark. To give credit where it’s due, the master filmmaker has shot certain sequences in his trademark impressive style. He’s known for a certain kind of camerawork and sets. In that regard, the film doesn’t disappoint. A few moments are hilarious and even memorable. On the flipside, one doesn’t get moved by the dilemmas of certain characters. Some of them seem to be there for the heck of it. Additionally, the track of the TV host and playwright Conrad Earp is difficult to understand. Hence, it’s a film that a majority of the audience won’t be able to decode.

Speaking of performances, Jason Schwartzman is fine in what can be called the lead performance. Scarlett Johansson shines. Tom Hanks is decent at best. Jake Ryan delivers a likeable performance. Grace Edwards leaves a mark. Jeffrey Wright is good, especially when he delivers a speech. Maya Hawke and Rupert Friend are forgettable. Tilda Swinton is okay while Steve Carell doesn’t get much scope. Matt Dillon (mechanic) and Tony Revolori are wasted. Willem Dafoe is too good in a cameo. Edward Norton (Conrad Earp) and Bryan Cranston (TV host) are passable.

Alexandre Desplat’s music is great. Robert Yeoman’s cinematography is lovely and as per Wes Anderson’s vision. Adam Stockhausen’s production design is cinematic and creative. Milena Canonero’s costumes are appealing. VFX is top-class. Barney Pilling’s editing is nothing special.

On the whole, ASTEROID CITY will appeal to a niche section of the audience and this will affect its prospects at the box office.