Life Through the Lens: Wes Anderson is back to form
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"You can't wake up if you don't go to asleep."
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Few things in life are incontrovertible. The Browns will choke when it really matters. The grocery line you chose will end up being the slowest. No matter how many times you go beforehand, you will always start a road trip with a full-feeling bladder. Sleep and sanity are inseparable.
Let's dig into that last one a bit.
We tend to view life as either awake or asleep. Either this or that. I personally often bemoan my sleeping life. What a waste of time it is. I imagine those seven or eight hours as nothing short of life's pause button. No forward momentum. No adventures undertaken. No actions braved or rewards reaped. Imagine what could be done with a third of your life back from its stolen slumber.
I believe, upon reflection, that sleeping gets robbed of its rightful recognition. Where would we be without sleep? I'll tell you where we'd be. Dead.
Without sleep, we would be unfocused and unproductive. Without sleep, we would be sluggish and fragile. Without sleep, we would be shallow and sullen. Without sleep, we would be vulnerable and volatile.
My sanity in my waking world is entirely dependent on and at the mercy of my sleeping life.
Let's now flip this into the metaphorical. My level of alert-and-aware consciousness is dependent on and at the mercy of my previous ignorance-and-innocence. Simply put: I can only now be fully awake if I was once fully asleep.
Like anyone who has experienced enlightenment, I find myself recoiling a bit at the thought of my younger self. How could he have been so naive? How could he have been so blind? I am no longer who I once was, and that thought can sometimes bring negativity and disappointment. Instead, though, the idea of asleep and awake carries with it comfort: I can only be awake today because I allowed myself the proper time to sleep.
If I had not slept, I would now be unfocused and unproductive. I would have no experience to mark as growth. If I had not slept, I would now be sluggish and fragile. I would have earned no resilience and resistance. If I had not slept, I would now be shallow and sullen. I would have no empathy or perspective. If I had not slept, I would now be vulnerable and volatile. I would be someone else's product and someone else's problem.
I am thankful for my time under the soft hand of sleep. It has forged a true and ever-expanding wakefulness in me. And boy, do I feel well-rested.
This is going to sound a bit confusing. Asteroid City is the name of the fictional town of which a play was written and now a television show is documenting the television production of said town. The play is entitled "Asteroid City." The television production is entitled "Asteroid City." The movie you might sit and watch is entitled "Asteroid City." Just … let it happen.
On one level, we have the playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton). He is famous for his craft, but has entered a period of disillusionment and confusion. He may still be the creator, but often is his creation outpacing and bypassing him. He graciously welcomes an audience into his process.
On another level, we have the television host (Bryan Cranston) and the process. We watch as Earp toils and listen as he attempts to explain. We are guided through certain moments of epiphany and entropy. We see the play's casting take shape and the story develop.
On our final level, we have the play itself. Instead of existing on a mere stage and being confined to its pitiful dimensions, we are whisked into the fantasy without borders. Asteroid City comes to life. Although just a blip on a desert map, the town is abuzz when the annual youth astronomy convention begins. The nation's brightest teens flock to this nowhere town because of the town's famed asteroid landing spot. It is a tiny little beacon to all lovers of outer space.
One such teen is Woodrow Steenbeck (Jake Ryan) and his accompanying family. Woodrow's father Augie (Jason Schwartzman) is an acclaimed photographer running from the recent loss of his wife. So recent that he hasn't even told his four children. Another teen is Dina Campbell (Grace Edwards) and her celebrated actress mother Midge (Scarlett Johansson). Midge has made a living in the public eye, but seems unable or uninterested in the actual public.
As the convention progresses, things go as planned. The temporary housing is adequate. The camaraderie is forced but friendly. The ceremonies are scripted, yet sufficient. Then, during a routine group-astronomical observation, the miraculous happens: a UFO appears, an alien descends, the asteroid fragment is snatched and the ship flies away. Did they just see what they think they saw? Good thing Augie took a picture for proof.
The U.S. government is in panic mode. It quickly quarantines the town with orders to silence all outside communication and thoroughly examine all the guests. With nowhere else to go, the town is bubbling with paranoia and excitement. Tensions flair, romance buds, songs are sung and cars are fixed.
Anyone found asleep is awakened. Anyone found stuck is loosened. Anyone found distant is welcomed close.
I have been a huge Wes Anderson fan since the beginning. His relentless and effortless style is so inspirational and intelligent. His art is recognizable in an instant. I have spoken some doubts recently, though. How far can an artist go with such a singular voice? His last film, "The French Dispatch," was a huge disappointment to me, feeling very lifeless and empty.
I am pleased to say that "Asteroid City" is back to par. In it, Anderson puts his creativity and charisma on full display. His attention to detail is unparalleled and his imagination is free. Anderson's script is witty and fast, but also provides some wonderful depth to wrestle. As has been proven over 27 years and 11 movies, there is no one else that sees the world quite like Wes Anderson sees the world.
Other standouts are the cinematography of Robert Yeoman, the production design of Adam Stockhausen, and the art direction of Stephane Cressend. Together, a barren desert becomes a living, breathing work of art.
The movie is wonderfully acted. Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson make a magnetic couple. Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton and Adrien Brody (as Schubert Green) are fun and unexpected. Teens Jake Ryan and Grace Edwards are electric. Although only in it for a few moments, Margot Robbie is illuminating.
Overall, it is a triumph for Wes Anderson. I'm not sure it is his best to date, but it is strong in all the right ways. It shows a growth in humanity and a further strengthening to the softly absurd that makes him so unique.
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REPORT CARD: Asteroid City.
Grade: A-.
Assessment: Surprisingly profound but not surprisingly proficient