I’m glad to hear that Paul Schrader dug Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” so much. In fact, he’s calling it Wes’ best movie.
ASTEROID CITY. The most Wes Anderson film Wes Anderson has made. And for that reason the best. He has distilled his design-driven anti-empathy film style to its essense. It's hard to find a comparable film. The one that comes to mind is "Last Year at Marienbad." I'm heartened that it opened so well. though not quite sure why.
Schrader has a point. I’m not sure how “Asteroid City” made $800,000 in just six theaters this past weekend — the highest per-theater-average of any movie since 2016’s “La La Land.” It’s going wide on June 30, but expect the PTA to drastically go down.
Despite the mixed reviews, there are definitely some hardcore fans of “Asteroid City.” It was such a letdown watching it at Cannes, but when I rewatched the film, a week later, it just clicked.
It’s Anderson’s most polarizing film for a reason. Actual story takes a backseat for the existential themes Anderson so obsessively tackles: life, existence, death, UFOs. You can read my thoughts on the film here.
