Wes Anderson's sci-fi romantic-comedy romp may not be his best, but there is just enough brilliance in between the flatter sections of the script to generate some genuine cinematic emotion at portions of the movie.
Following a star-studded cast of characters who head to a Nevada town for a stargazers' convention that quickly takes a turn for the extraterrestrial, the premise is instantly brilliant, providing a perfect testing ground for the kind of story which Anderson rolls out.
Credit where credit is due, Anderson and co-story creator Roman Coppola's screenplay is ambitious, audacious, and creative, with a particularly intriguing structure that blends fiction with reality, taking multiple different formats and generating something unique as a result. However it also suffers from pacing issues, especially in the first act, where the focus of the story is unclear and the vast number of characters unable to make a proper impact on the screen.
As a result, we are treated to a series of dizzyingly beautiful shots, in composition, cinematography, and production design, complete from the Anderson signature of smooth single-take camera moves, but none of which gel together properly into a cohesive movie until about halfway through. Once it does, however, this movie becomes exactly what it's trying to be, sophisticated and a finely detailed look at a long-lost world.
The actors rarely extend the character beyond the script's quirks, and that only adds to the sterile feel of something pretty but ultimately pointless throughout the first hour.
As it gains momentum, however, and as actors of a calibre of Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson get the chance to flex their capabilities beyond Anderson-stoicism, the movie starts to come together, and towards the end is a deeply thoughtful meditation on art, performance, the stories we tell ourselves about deeper meanings, and even about grief and existentialism.
The music, provided by Anderson stalwart Alexandre Desplat, is also noteworthy in it's perfect encapsulation of the Anderson style, and his needle drops remain as joyously wonderful as ever.
Although not close to his best, it is still a work of extraordinary originality, and a visual feast of intricate details and quirkily entertaining cinema. This will win Anderson no new converts, but surely anyone can appreciate the effort and thought put into this movie, though somewhat unwieldy and inefficient.
Following a star-studded cast of characters who head to a Nevada town for a stargazers' convention that quickly takes a turn for the extraterrestrial, the premise is instantly brilliant, providing a perfect testing ground for the kind of story which Anderson rolls out.
Credit where credit is due, Anderson and co-story creator Roman Coppola's screenplay is ambitious, audacious, and creative, with a particularly intriguing structure that blends fiction with reality, taking multiple different formats and generating something unique as a result. However it also suffers from pacing issues, especially in the first act, where the focus of the story is unclear and the vast number of characters unable to make a proper impact on the screen.
As a result, we are treated to a series of dizzyingly beautiful shots, in composition, cinematography, and production design, complete from the Anderson signature of smooth single-take camera moves, but none of which gel together properly into a cohesive movie until about halfway through. Once it does, however, this movie becomes exactly what it's trying to be, sophisticated and a finely detailed look at a long-lost world.
The actors rarely extend the character beyond the script's quirks, and that only adds to the sterile feel of something pretty but ultimately pointless throughout the first hour.
As it gains momentum, however, and as actors of a calibre of Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson get the chance to flex their capabilities beyond Anderson-stoicism, the movie starts to come together, and towards the end is a deeply thoughtful meditation on art, performance, the stories we tell ourselves about deeper meanings, and even about grief and existentialism.
The music, provided by Anderson stalwart Alexandre Desplat, is also noteworthy in it's perfect encapsulation of the Anderson style, and his needle drops remain as joyously wonderful as ever.
Although not close to his best, it is still a work of extraordinary originality, and a visual feast of intricate details and quirkily entertaining cinema. This will win Anderson no new converts, but surely anyone can appreciate the effort and thought put into this movie, though somewhat unwieldy and inefficient.