Wes Anderson directs Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks in this period comedy where a play about a camp for young scientists set in a crater in the desert comes to life.

Cute, formally playful and star studded. Everything you expect from Anderson then. And while the surprises are more in the mode (the tale switches from stark Actor’s Studio monochrome, to faded picture postcard colours to stop motion exotica to Rod Serling-esque tale of the weird narration…) the ultimate result is pleasingly messy and sweetly romantic. A long established talent raking over old ground and colouring outside of his usually rigid lines, a shaggy dog story with plenty of scruffy hairs to stroke. Got me!

8

Perfect Double Bill: Rushmore (1998)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/