Summary
A group of people end up trapped out in the dessert where they are visited by an alien being.
As many of you know I am a big Wes Anderson fan, and as such there are things in this film that I can overlook especially as after The French Dispatch Anderson’s last and probably worst film I was in dire need of a good Anderson film again.
For the most part I thought the cast worked well and Anderson’s trademark quirk and charm was there in abundance for all to see. There are a number of good moments peppered in throughout the film, some cheer worthy even, and Jason Schwartzman anchored the film perfectly.
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this film feels very messy at times and I think Anderson tried to do too much, especially with the play inside of the film aspects of it, again this crossed back into stuff he was doing in The French Dispatch that didn’t work there or here. The film as a whole would have been better if Anderson had just tried to tell a linear story rather than trying to go for a more meta textual approach.
Overall, better in many ways than The French Dispatch but there is still some modern Anderson issues here, it is understandable for a filmmaker to want to try and shake things up, but these new changes can’t help but make you miss Anderson’s older films.
3.5/5
Pros.
An interesting narrative
Back to form
Anderson’s charming quirks
Solid performances across the board
Cons.
It comes across as a little smug at times
Pacing issues
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Another Millennial Reviewer 