Wes Anderson's movies have often been categorized as coming of age stories, but it's seldom the kids in his films who are confused. It's usually the adults who need the most work, and this holds true in his latest film, Moonrise Kingdom. At its core, Moonrise Kingdom is about a pair of young lovers who make a pact to run away together and end up causing a manhunt across the sleepy East Coast island of New Penzance. But as with all of Anderson's films, it's also about complex family dynamics, the immaturity of adults and the fragility of love.
Newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward are Sam and Suzy, the 12-year old lovers in question. Neither has starred in a movie before, and both were cast after a lengthy search. It's a gamble to hang an entire film on two untried kids, but Anderson has proven he is adept at working with youthful actors, and he works his magic again here to good effect. Gilman and Hayward aren't perfect, but they are believable, and more importantly, emotionally engaging.
They have to be, too, because the film relies heavily on the two leads to carry the action. When the movie opens, Sam is an orphan who doesn't get along with his foster family and is alienated from his Khaki Scout group. Suzy is the product of a troubled home, whose lawyer parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) spend more time moping about their own lives than caring what happens to their daughter and three sons. When a chance encounter introduces the kids to each other, their destiny is sealed, and they carry out their love pact in a wilderness survival trip across New Penzance.
The sweetest scenes in the movie are the quiet moments Sam and Suzy spend together learning about each other and falling in love. The back-and-forth during their wilderness trek sets the stage for a touching, believable relationship that is the foundation of the film. In the later stages (I don't want to give anything away), it becomes a bit of a Romeo and Juliet tale with an East Coast sensibility and caper feel, but it all works because we believe in the kids' awkward but authentic love.
Bruce Willis is great in a subtle, understated role as the local sheriff who leads the search party efforts from the law enforcement side. His character is simple (in a mental sense), but complex and sad and in the end, quite warm. Willis brings a soft touch to the film, moving away from the cookie cutter flexing and sneering of some of his recent protagonist roles. Tilda Swinton is excellent in a funny, overtly stereotypical role as "Social Services," a dour, buttoned-up shrew who's hell-bent on "protecting" Sam. But sadly, most of the adults don't have enough to do.
The one disappointment in the movie is that we don't get to spend enough time digging into these characters' back stories. Anderson is very adept at crafting full, rich characters that usually achieve roundness through carefully-chosen dialogue, flashbacks and detail, but since a lot of this film dwells on the activities of the kids, we don't get as much from folks like Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton and especially Harvey Keitel. The movie was slim at 94 minutes, and a chunk of that was taken up by credits, so there is more room to develop, but it doesn't happen.
Edward Norton is perfect for the role of Scout Master Ward, a man whose life is dedicated to the routine and duty of managing the Khaki Scouts, a ragtag batch of characters with names like "Lazy Eye" and "Izod." The scout camp portions of the movie are great; here, Anderson creates a deep, organized world that is instantly recognizable. This is his take on a 1965 scout troop, and it's perfect. It's awesome when you see the expanded scout universe that exists on New Penzance, which includes Jason Schwartzman's Cousin Ben. Schwartzman shines in this small role, but Norton, as noted, just isn't given enough to do.
Anderson's unique, charming and highly particular cinematic style is on full display in Moonrise Kingdom, and although this movie is not as visually honed as Royal Tenenbaums (whose every frame was a masterpiece of detail), Moonrise Kingdom offers plenty for Wesophiles to worship.
For instance, each costume is painstakingly crafted, and the little things are the most important: the felt patches on the scout uniforms, the hint of gray poking out beneath the wig of Tilda Swinton's Social Services character, Bill Murray's amazing Technicolor checked pants. Anderson knows that detail is what ties us to the tale, makes the make-believe real; makes us believe. As with Tenenbaums, this film uses illustrations to amazing effect, this time in the form of several fictional book covers that Suzy reads from throughout the film. The covers are so amazing (and so beloved by the director as well), that they earn their own spot in the credits, and rightfully so.
As is true of most Anderson films, the setting itself is its own character, but this time it's given even more emphasis in the form of Bob Balaban, who serves as a narrator and personification of New Penzance. The creators painstakingly scouted islands all over America (and even overseas) before settling on the Rhode Island location, and the exhaustive search was worth it. The woods and craggy shores of New Penzance are transporting and wonderful.
This isn't the perfect Wes Anderson film, but it's a damn good one. And let's face it: the care, detail and intelligence that go into his films trump most of what's in cinemas these days. His unique visions are never boring, and his take on the world is still as refreshing as ever.
If you couldn't find anything to love about Rushmore or Tenenbaums, this movie won't make you a Wes Anderson convert. But if you respect the subtlety of a charming visual joke, or the simple pleasure of a well-constructed tableau, or well-chosen piece of music, you will adore Moonrise Kingdom.
Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/moonrise-kingdom-review
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