What kind of multiverse is this? 

One of my personal peeves about movies is the use of too many characters. It is mostly a preference thing, but I lose interest in some players while longing to see more of others. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and one of the greatest of those exceptions is the filmography of the extraordinarily talented filmmaker, Wes Anderson. He has a way of molding together complex comedies with carefully detailed sets that impress his audiences with beauty and remarkable stories. Anderson’s latest, Asteroid City, comes equipped with a cast that would look great standing next to Sgt. Pepper. 

Asteroid City is a high-concept comedy that looks at how we interact with film. There are statements on nudity, celebrity obsession, role conflict, and the human condition. How does Anderson present these statements? By using actors in a film playing actors in a documentary about actors in a play. Sound confusing? It is! Conceptually this is like a tame hybrid of Noises Off and the Marvel Multiverse. Asteroid City had so much going for it, with amazing performances and sets that are even beyond my expectations for Wes Anderson. Unfortunately, I found my brain jumping through hoops to piece together this story as I was watching it. While much of the dialogue reminded me of Beau is Afraid, Asteroid City lacked a clear protagonist to guide the audience through these worlds. Although I applaud the experimentation and vision of this film, my first impression was that it felt a bit rushed and lacked the reflection that these sorts of films need to convey their message.  

Writing film reviews can be intimidating. I saw Beau is Afraid in the theater a couple of months ago and absolutely loved it. There was so much to say, yet I need to see it at least one more time to even touch the surface of what I wanted to convey about it. Asteroid City deserves a rewatch and I hope that I end up embracing it further the second time around. Admittedly, I did not love this movie.  

About Nathan Conrad:

He’s best known as the Nashville-based Hip Hop/Indie Pop emcee Spoken Nerd, but this isn’t your typical rap project. He rhymes playfully at times, singing and/or rapping, juxtaposing his style with real-life situations and subject matter. Occasionally Spoken Nerd will find inspiration in films and will put it into song. With eight full-length albums into his career, the rapper has built a healthy catalog of music, which doesn’t include the number of EPs and singles released. His most recent release is the collaborative effort Grapes, with Juan Cosby.

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