Moonrise Kingdom

Greetings again from the darkness. Not many people think like Wes Anderson. That's probably a good thing in real life. It's definitely a good thing for movies. He is a creative and distinct filmmaker, though not one with mass appeal. My two personal favorites of his are The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore. His previous film, Fantastic Mr Fox, was a solid hit and critically lauded. Now he delivers one that will probably only click with his core fans. It's a thing of beauty ... if you keep in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Set on the fictional New Penzance Island off the coast of New England in 1965, the movie opens with terrific visuals of the Bishop family's lighthouse/home. Our tour is conducted as if the home were a dollhouse, and our eyes struggle to keep up with the detailed decor. We are struck by the color palette of tans, greens and splashes of red. This will continue throughout the movie.

The story centers around two 12 year old misfits: Sam and Suzy. Sam is an orphan and outcast in his Khaki Scouts troop, and Suzy is misunderstood and ignored by her selfish parents, who communicate with a bullhorn and through legalese at bedtime (they are both lawyers). Sam and Suzy are attracted to each other's misery and decide to run away together. This ignites a flurry of activity on this quiet island and showcases two first time actors with remarkable screen presence: Jared Gilman (Sam) and Kara Hayward (Suzy).

The "grown-ups" on the island include Suzy's parents played by Bill Murray (a Wes Anderson staple) and Frances McDormand. The island police chief is played Bruce Willis, who we soon figure out is also a social outcast. The Scoutmaster is played by Edward Norton in a regimented weirdness that will have you laughing in confoundment. For such serious topics, Mr. Anderson and co-writer Roman Coppola provide us many comedic moments - both through dialogue and site gags.

During the search, other colorful supporting characters get involved. Social Services is after Sam. Tilda Swinton plays Social Services. In one of the few gags, I'll give away, Swinton's character only introduces herself as Social Services. This is a gut punch to a system that is often under-staffed and forgetful of it's true mission. We also get Jason Schwartzman as a very helpful, though slightly seedy, Cousin Ben. Harvey Keitel plays the senior Scoutmaster who is unhappy with Norton for losing a scout. Bob Balaban makes periodic appearances as a narrator ... either for a documentary or for the movie, depending on the moment's need.

The script does a wonderful job of capturing how the 12 year old brain works. Some of the scenes with Sam and Suzy are almost like looking a photo album ... exactly the way our childhood memory works. Flashes of moments. The Alexandre Desplat score is heavy on percussion, but it works well with the minimalistic look of the film. It's also interesting to note that this is one of the few movies where it makes sense to have a soundtrack with Benjamin Britten, Hank Williams and Mozart! If you go to this one, keep your eyes open and moving, and your ears receptive. The payoff is worth it.

Let's try to understand the miracle I have just witnessed. Director Wes Anderson is 12 years old, has just experienced his first love while at Summer camp, and immediately rushed to a camera to tell us, his pen pals, the story. A slightly embellished story which follows the perfect scenarios we would draw at night in our beds at this age. It has all the tiny details, the sense of adventure and the freshness of youth. How someone 43 years old in real life could do this movie is beyond me. The drawback of this miracle for the viewer is that such a jump back into the kind of idealized feelings you had in your early teens leaves you with quite some melancholy when you leave the cinema.

It could be that some people do not connect to the movie and just see it as "adorable" or "cute" and nothing more. But I suppose most people will feel connected, notably because the movie has this straight-to-the-point attitude in both the technique and the story-telling; the story is read to you, not force-fed with dramatic music and whatnot. Just like one of the characters who reads bedtime stories to the others.

You might complain about the lack of character development for some of the big names in this film (Norton, Willis, Murray - McDormand less so as she gets more detailed screen time than the others) but I suppose this is wanted: kids will see hints of the issues adults are facing, but can't understand them fully. And remember this is a movie shot by 12-year old Wes Anderson.

The thing that I enjoy most about Wes Anderson films is that they each feel like a great adventure and in this sense I think Moonrise Kingdom is his best yet. It tells that tale of Sam, an orphan on scout camp, and Suzy, a misunderstood girl, as they run away together. At first I found the two actors playing the kids to be kind of limp but after a few minutes I warmed to them and I actually think they were both pretty good overall, particularly Jared Gilman who plays Sam and even more so knowing that it's the first acting he's ever done. The rest of the cast are all pursuing or helping them in some way and there a couple of sub-plots with the island's policeman (played by Bruce Willis) and the parents of Suzy (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand).

I thought that the rest of the cast was great. In fairness I am a bit biased because I love Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Bruce Willis and Frances McDormand but even so I have to say that they were all really good, especially Edward Norton who plays the scout master, and Bill Murray. There are also a couple of minor roles for Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keital and Tilda Swinton who were also a lot of fun. Everyone in the cast fits into their role really well which is obviously exactly what you want, but not only is that the case for the main roles but also for the less important ones, like the scout troupe (especially Sam's 'enemy'), Suzy's three brothers or the oddball narrator.

Cinematography wise I didn't think this movie was particularly spectacular, especially in comparison to other Wes Anderson movies like 'The Life Aquatic' or 'The Royal Tenenbaums'. There were a couple of shots that were cool though, some really long zoom outs (which sounds clichéd but it worked) and the doll house type ones that I love and think are awesome.

I wouldn't expect to wet your pants laughing at any moment in 'Moonrise Kingdom' but it is funny. There are a couple of laugh out loud moments and as a whole the jokes are pretty sharp and intelligently done. The reason I like the humour in this movie is that it's a part of the ambiance and feel of it, it won't make you crack up but it will make you have a smile on your face for pretty much the whole thing and leave you feeling strangely happy.

That kind of ambiance is really why the movie is so good, and is possibly Wes Anderson's best movie. The whole story is this fantastic blend of reality and child-like dreaming and it's wonderful. At times I felt kind of nostalgic and sad that I'm not a kid anymore. On the other hand it feels like a tribute to those myths and dreams of being a child and it works so well. This is the kind of film that I feel I could watch over and over again, each time spotting something new but also feeling good and enjoying the overall purpose.

Definitely go and see it!

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Teenager love birds Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) run away from their homes to find a better life together but soon a search party is out looking for them. Wes Anderson's latest picture is quite a gem because it's been a very long time since a film has captured the innocence and beauty of young love. Now this certainly isn't a love story but then again the film is so original that it really doesn't fit into any one genre. There's the love stuff but also plenty of great comedy and best of all are the terrific performances from the entire cast, many of which haven't done this good of work in years. Anderson and Roman Coppola's screenplay is so simple yet so beautiful and innocent that it's nearly impossible not to get caught up in this crazy world. The visual style of Anderson is certainly on full display as is the weird and surreal atmosphere that really makes you feel as if you're seeing some sci-fi movie because it just appears to be a different universe than anything you've seen or known. At just 84-minutes without the end credits, there's really no filler or scenes that don't belong. This is a very tight ship that tells its story, gets the characters developed and then moves on. Both Gilman and Hayward are terrific in the roles of the young lovers and it's easy to see that they've both got a great talent and Anderson exploits every bit of it. The comic touch by the two was very impressive and they fit Anderson's world perfectly. Frances McDormand and Bill Murray are both extremely funny as the girl's parents and especially Murray who can play weird like no one else. Edward Norton turns in his best work in years as the scout leader and we even get a strong bit by Tilda Swinton. Harvey Keitel pops up towards the end and it's always great seeing him. Bruce Willis is the one that really jumps off the screen. I remember PULP FICTION brought him back to life in regards to showing he could "act" and didn't have to always play Bruce Willis and this film proves the same. Willis is extremely good, funny and at times touching in his part and it was great to see him acting again. MOONRISE KINGDOM isn't going to be a film for those seeking brainless action but those who want something more are bound to be entertained.

and I absolutely loved every minute. There's nothing better than when you see actors commit fully to absurdity, and there wasn't a misstep in the entire film, stellar cast and a great movie watching experience. My favorite, of Wes Anderson's films, and what a move picking the two lead child actors - their performances were brave and spot-on. I want to find this island, I want to liquidate everything I own and move there, I just wonder if a place like this still exists in the World? I bet it does. Quirky and humorous, this film doesn't disappoint (or at least I've only heard of 1 person so far not giving it a thumbs up), anyone who doesn't get this film I suspect had a very regimented childhood and didn't take any risks. Great soundtrack, two people near me in the theatre jumped up into the aisle to start dancing (I suspect they may have been there for a second viewing!), the entire audience enjoyed it. Really, Anderson's best film yet in my book, highly recommended.