Elaborate Production Sends Anderson Back to Quirky Form in 'Asteroid City'

The new Wes Anderson film "Asteroid City" is set in a remote desert town in post-World War 2 America and follows a group of teenagers at a Junior Stargazer convention who encounter an alien.
The film features Anderson's signature visual style and complicated narrative framing devices but lacks depth in its plot and characters.
However, the film's retro soundtrack, sprawling ensemble cast, and themes of storytelling, grief, performance, and the cosmos represent a return to form for Anderson after dividing audiences with his previous two films.
The film was shot on location in Spain with an entire town constructed specifically for the production.
While the characters and their emotions are stylized, Scarlett Johansson's performance stands out as the most complex and nuanced.