Moonrise Kingdom

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 story of an unliked 12 year old Khaki scout and the unwanted 12 year old daughter of a pair of disfunctional lawyer parents, all set in 1965 - then the pair of 'lovers' decide to run away together on a fairly small island. The whole concept is ridiculous, but the absolutely stellar cast pull it off. The use of music by Benjamin Britten and other C20th composers works very well. I give it at least 8/10 (possibly 9/10 - it is very good).

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.

Saw this just now in a small indie cinema in Heidelberg, Germany and I have to say, it was a romp. In my humble opinion this film manages to be both Wes Anderson's funniest picture so far and his most melancholic. The utter uncompromising stylishness of his other work is also present here, perhaps even heightened, but in contrast to The Life Aquatic (and to a certain degree The Darjeeling Limited), the emphasis here is firmly on plot. The brave and often odd visuals never overwhelm the story and the audience never feels like they are not quite in on the joke, like in The Life Aquatic. The tone does tend to become a bit erratic, especially in the last third of the film when Anderson seems to want to pack so much into every frame that the film becomes a bit cartoonish at times (hence the not-perfect score from me). All in all, though, the plot is very balanced and the pacing is great. The two young leads are superb and the brave move by Anderson to place unknown actors front and centre pays off beautifully. The rest of the cast is on paper even more star-studded than The Royal Tenenbaums and yet Anderson never steers into unnecessary character development just to accommodate his stars. A touch here and a touch there are more than enough to paint a picture of a group of people who are eerily similar in their dissatisfaction with their lives and yet react quite differently to the two young lovers' dash (literally) for happiness. In conclusion, a must-see for Anderson fans and highly recommended for everyone else.

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.