Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks. © 2023 Focus Features, American Empirical Pictures, and Indian Paintbrush. Directed by Wes Anderson.
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Watched it at AMC Theaters
A Very Anderson Feature... Looking through the saturated orange colors and the bright blues across the frame, filled with a stacked cast in the composed frame, and the city that looks like a studio set, this is a film that cinephiles will love. Even if the story doesn't hold up for certain people, it will still grab their attention for this Anderson picture. This is Wes Anderson's follow-up from The French Dispatch and the way he tells this new story is unique but in order to keep it that way, he upped the dial on his visuals and the results are flashy yet interesting. Join me in Asteroid City and see what pot of land we can buy from Michael from The Office. Story: World-changing events spectacularly disrupt the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention in an American desert town circa 1955. Augie Steenbeck and his family are stuck in Asteroid City but they recollect themselves on their purposes of life, love, and technology. One of the biggest differences I noticed from his previous films is that this film's visuals are through the roof. This is basically Anderson's style up to one hundred percent, and it works well for this film's story. However, even with Anderson's amazing style of filmmaking, at its core, it's about the story and characters. His characters here have their unique identity that shapes the overall story, including the conflict which changed the whole town upside down. The main characters in the story played by Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Jake Ryan, and Tom Hanks really make this story flow but it's stacked by many characters. It jumps between stages and Anderson is famous for his unique story structure. The structure here in this film works well by jumping into the actual story and going out of the story to see the creation of it. I love some of the "breaking the 4th wall" moments and it pays homage to classic sci-fi films and television/radio productions. Since I learned TV and radio history, I was kind of geeking out for a few moments in between some transitions and little funny moments. Those little small moments make the story much easier to follow and help the characters interact a little bit more within their situation. The plot here is interesting and while it can be a little bit jolted in certain sequences, I was still hooked on the sci-fi elements that Wes Anderson introduced here. I liked how it explored different sections of the town and when the whole town is together, the energy starts to pile up in a good way. One unique element and pretty much one of the themes in the film is grief and moving on. Jason's character wants to grief of his wife's death with her ashes but he's not ready to tell it to his kids yet. However, he's in a town where he takes the opportunity to change his life decisions and rethink life. I really like the idea and themes here and it worked well, especially with the ending of the film. The film's ending felt real and is a reminder that we have to move onto a new life and step away from the grieving point. A city filled with emotions and nuclear testing. Still, it's not just focused on Jason's character but on every cast going through their emotions and points of their life to recover their-selves. All of that is told through a visually eye-popping view of this unique story brought by the production team of this film.
The cinematography of this film is stand-out amazingly with its great well-saturated color look with its iconic Wes Anderson style of composition. His composition and blocking of characters is still iconic to this day and he utilizes it very well here. Some will complain about its use of empty space but I love how it evokes loneliness and a grand scope of the city or area. The editing here is also well done and I loved the split-screen use in this film. It adds a little bit of comedic tone and ups the style of this film. The production design is fantastic in this film. I can't notice which building, prop, or even an area is real or a miniature. Even with VFX in this film, it looks very good. The costume design here is fantastic by making each setting fit and since this film is in color and in black and white, it makes the environment more distinct. I also loved some of the color effects which make the costumes stand out in both color and B&W. The music is also very great and I love the song choices which makes the film more jumpy. Overall, the production work is fantastic with the cinematography being the stand-out. Even with all of its positives, this film holds down within the dialogue and pacing.
One of the flaws I recently noticed in Wes Anderson's previous films including this one is his dialogue is so sparse that you can't understand the context behind it. In his previous film, it was a little bit easier to understand due to its exposition but in this film, it's way harder to understand. I was a bit lost during some of the important conversations which hurt the pacing of certain scenes. However, the final 20 minutes really cleaned up the dialogue and I understood what the film was trying to communicate. It's an interesting flaw that is happening in his recent films but that's the major flaw that was holding me back during the film. The story could've been more cleaner and understandable but with his visuals, it makes it more easier to follow up. Besides the confusing dialogue and loosely story, I was still invested in the world of Asteroid City. Even if this film wasn't up to the best of Wes's other films, it's still a solid film filled with great performances, eye-colorful cinematography, and a unique story that cinephiles will love or be lost at. It's still a great film and it shows that Wes still has the cinema power to bring small stories into larger-than-life colorful stories. Now Playing in Theaters and on VOD. Vizeit Score: "B+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie cinema website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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Cate Blanchett. © 2022 Focus Features, Standard Film Company, and EMJAG Productions. Directed by Todd Field.
Watched it on Blu-Ray
Vizeit Film Awards Nominee (4 Nominations Including "Best Motion Picture Film") Get To Know The Greatest Female Conductor/Composer In Modern Music History. The world of musicians is staggering but no one can beat the great conductor who is redefying music. Unless she goes crazy and ruins her reputation. That's what Todd Field explores in his new latest film after years without directing a feature film. But that wait is over and it was worth the wait. This is his magnum opus and this film is very psychological from start to finish. It may not be for everyone but with the captivating lead performance and beautiful direction, this is an interesting film for every cinephile, filmmaker, and music student. Let's journey into the mind of Lydia Tár. Story: Renowned musician Lydia Tár is days away from recording the symphony that will elevate her career. When all elements seem to conspire against her, Lydia's adopted daughter Petra becomes an integral emotional support for her struggling mother. But she's also facing accusations of her recent past and the future of her symphony group. This film was tense and entertaining from start to finish. The opening is quite interesting which may throw off some audiences which is understandable. But when the real film starts, it gets way more interesting and it fiddles with some interesting subject matters. There are a lot of moving parts within its dialogue but it doesn't focus on the plot rather focuses on the protagonist trying to deal with her personal life and career. It's the downfall of her career which starts with the amazing one-take scene of Tár explaining the artist vs the art itself. It's a beautiful and well-constructed scene that explains how today's art including cinema culture has changed. You can cancel someone in real life but you can't delete their work because it changed cinema or another art form. But the person can be a douchebag so it's reasonable. Back to the scene, it's brilliant because it explores how students are reacting to the truth and with Tár being lesbian, it's more stronger with its message. Her teaching is raw and wants the best for everyone. Good thing she ain't Gordon Ramsey. Tár herself played by Cate Blanchett is fantastic. Her performance really carries the movie and she brings a lot of energy during her dramatic scenes and emotional weight to the film. Watching her from just trying to enjoy life into destroying her life is pretty dark and sad. The human struggle of her trying to face a new society, facing death, and haunting past. Plus she is facing the darkest sides of her career and it's very haunting during those scenes she is facing. Even in the small moments, you can witness her being uncomfortable during a moment. Little moments like these make the character much grander and the experience quite interesting. The cinematography is very great and I liked the still shots a lot. The color palette seemed to be changed from the previous edit but it still looks great in capturing Tár's emotions. The production design is pretty great and I really loved the score in this film. But I have mixed feelings about it. Besides that, the directing is very strong in this film. I really loved how he stays within the conversation of these characters like normal but with fewer cutaways. Todd Field makes it clear that he wants to give a tense tone that will make Tár more uncomfortable and make her crazier as possible. I really loved the hallway tunnel scene. I thought that scene was so well directed and it's the breaking point of Tár. There is a lot of symbolism and interesting themes presented in this film on the main title character but that will be for another time. Overall, it's a strong film that explores a downfall, the psychology of having art over life, and the cautionary tale of real-life events and subjects that make this film worth a watch. There are some critiques I would like to give as usual. The runtime was fairly long and it was a bit draggy right in between the middle and third act. Could've cut the less important scenes. I was a bit lost during some of the conversations in the film but it quickly paced back up with a dramatic scene. I wish we could've got more of the daughter relationship with Tár and the family together. A few story nitpicks but it was still a very interesting film. I really enjoyed this tense film that explores the psychological state of an artist and the world around her. It's very theme heavy and it's haunting at certain moments. I was really captivated by Cate Blanchett's raw performance and I can see her winning an Oscar. It's a well-written drama with a fantastic lead performance, simple yet sleek cinematography, and seeing a video game cameo in a film is not what I expected from this arthouse film. Now Streaming on VOD and available on 4K/Blu-Ray. Vizeit Score: "A-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. |
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