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
Action / Adventure / Comedy / Drama / Family / Fantasy / Romance
Moonrise Kingdom
2012
Action / Adventure / Comedy / Drama / Family / Fantasy / Romance
Plot summary
Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.
Uploaded by: OTTO
September 23, 2012 at 08:39 PM
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Might be my favourite Wes Anderson film
see it
Typically there are two kinds of Hollywood movies. The successful ones that transport you into a world which, for just a short while, is preferable to the one you actually live in. And the unsuccessful ones which transport you into a much more disagreeable world where behind-the-scenes dealmakers work tirelessly to create completely forgettable (and often horrible) films that are designed merely to serve the system; that is, put a paycheck in everyone's pocket, and keep the "pipeline" to cable and mobile media full of pudgy product. There is also a third category -- films so good that from the first few frames they transport you not only to a more interesting world than the one you actually inhabit, but a world you never really would want to ever leave. And that in a nutshell is Moonrise Kingdom,one of the most escapist and endearing and unpredictable films ever made. In one of the earliest scenes in the move, a pre-teen boy in a scout uniform busts into the dressing room where a bunch of pre-teen girls are getting ready to put on a opera. Although there are multiple females in the scene, the young lad, with an air of determination that even Sinatra himself would have approved of, singles out one in particular, and manages to pay her a terse, back-handed compliment. The other young ladies in the scene immediately grasp the import of what has taken place. One of them turns to the girl receiving the unwanted attention and says simply, "He likes you." And from that point on, this quirky story of young love never lets up for a moment, and never fails to captivate. The mind-boggling roster of A-list supporting stars, mostly cast against type, only adds to its charm. Edward Norton, formerly of Fight Club and The Hulk, plays a man-boy whose only joy in life is to lead scouts. Bruce Willis gives what many consider his best performance in years as a sad and overlooked sheriff in a town so small that most maps wouldn't even show it. And Bill Murray, once known as the top comic in Hollywood, almost makes you cry.