Welcome back to a long awaited Tom Hank Hustle! It has been over a year since the legendary Tom Hanks has been on the silver screen! The last movie being A Man Called Otto. That drama drove me and my friends to tears when we saw it and today we are getting an opposite effect.
The always impressive, Tom Hanks stars in a straight faced comedy called Asteroid City.
The star studded film is about an oddball group a people the come together for a space and mathematics type of competition. The geniuses that compete are teenagers from all over the country coming together in the middle of no where, a place name Asteroid City. The city is named after the object that feel from the sky over 5000 years ago and is still sitting in the middle of the sand where it first landed. Well, that is what they play is about. The movie is actually showing the play and how the play was made at the same time. You get the story of how it was created and the creation simultaneously.
The characters are a string of eclectic people become an odd group of friends, and government hostages for a little while? There is a movie star a family that lost their mom, teenagers that are trying to be noticed, and soldiers that are there to judge the competition. As they are all getting to know each other a strange thing happens on the day of judgment when an alien comes down and takes the asteroid. No talking, no crazy attack, just come out of a spaceship and awkwardly picks up the rock, and leaves. Sending everyone in the city into confusion and, ultimately, lock down.
All the while this is happening the star of the show how no idea what the purpose of the show is. So, he leaves the play and talks to the director of the show, who really doesn't have an answer for him. The star asks "Am I doing this right". The director doesn't really give him much of a helpful answer and then they go about the rest of the play.
It's been a long time since I have been genuinely confused by a movie that I didn't understand why it was made. Asteroid City made me question what was happening the whole way through. Even when you think that you are going to get an answer it just leaves you more confused about everything than you were before.
I will say this, the film is hilarious. Yes, you are confused but at least you get to have fun while you have no idea why you have subjected yourself to the insanity. The humor is as dry as the desert it's set in, but every line is delivered in such a way that you can't help but crack a smile and roll you eyes. When the cast not only has the Tom Hanks but Scarlett Johannsson, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Jason Schwartzman, and Steve Carroll it's got to be able to deliver that kind of humor without falling flat. Again, you fall into confusion as to why this film was created but you enjoy almost every minute of it.
While Mr. Hanks was not the soul focus of the film he is great at helping to move the plot forward, and delivering utter frankness and logic to the other characters that help to reach conclusion faster. However, there is one shot in the film when they are introducing as the character in the play where his is sitting in a director's chair that he looks amazing! It's a very quick look of him but it's a beautiful shot and one that will last in my mind for long time.
Would I recommend that movie to other people? Yes, if they are someone that likes artsy type films and wants to do more a study. If someone wants to escape for a few hours and not have to think about a movie I don't think this is the one for them. If you are someone the wants a solid conclusion, a happily ever after, or just to not leave the theater questioning the movie, I would pick something else. However, if you want to ponder why you gave a few hours of your life to a movie I would say that you would enjoy this film..
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