Moonrise Kingdom
Go! A quirky Wes Anderson classic.
Quaint, parochial, teenage love.
Fantastic Mr Fox, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums... Wes Anderson films are all quirky; the type that cause mustachioed East Londoners to rave about "nuances" to their posh West London friends, who will pretend to have enjoyed the "artiness" of it all in front of their banker friends; who in turn will say it sounds like "nonsensical gash" that they have no interest in seeing. In truth all of these arseholes have a point. With Moonrise Kingdom, the film that opened Cannes this year, they all continue to.
The film sees two excellently portrayed mid-pubescent teenagers battle parents, peers, police and physics to run away and ultimately be together. Fundamentally, it is a childhood love story between two misfits - typically a simple, well-worn tale. The difference in this instance is that Wes Anderson direction brings a pastel dreaminess that cures the typical Hollywood love-story of its sickly sweetness and the dripping, soft cheese to which we are so accustomed. Instead, this story is steeped in subtle but relentless humour; satirising our own lives by making them appear fluorescent and abstract. It's like looking at yourself through a kaleidoscopic, fish-eye lens.
The film sees two excellently portrayed mid-pubescent teenagers battle parents, peers, police and physics to run away and ultimately be together. Fundamentally, it is a childhood love story between two misfits - typically a simple, well-worn tale. The difference in this instance is that Wes Anderson direction brings a pastel dreaminess that cures the typical Hollywood love-story of its sickly sweetness and the dripping, soft cheese to which we are so accustomed. Instead, this story is steeped in subtle but relentless humour; satirising our own lives by making them appear fluorescent and abstract. It's like looking at yourself through a kaleidoscopic, fish-eye lens.
Through that lens, you'll want to be 14 again, when relationships were simple, yet dramatic and all-consuming. At that point in life, little did we know of the landsliding complications that were yet to arise; that our desire to be adults was based on a false hope that things would get simpler. Moonrise Kingdom directly pits relationships between adults against relationships between children, and at every point, the innocent and joyful youth come out on top.
Being that this was a Wes Anderson film, the cast is an ensemble (or whatever the French word for ensemble might be) and the list of names is glowing. Andersonian regulars Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman of course make appearances, both submitting thoroughly amusing performances. Owen Wilson is conspicuously missing for the first time, but his place is assumed by Edward Norton, whose clumsily heroic and endearing scoutmaster is his best performance for a long, long time. Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton slot in nicely to the gang, and the two leading children (Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward) are spectacularly dry. They comfortably shine amidst so many accomplished stars. Completing the talent is a motley band of youthful actors who each compete for the "Best Delivered Line" award.
Being that this was a Wes Anderson film, the cast is an ensemble (or whatever the French word for ensemble might be) and the list of names is glowing. Andersonian regulars Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman of course make appearances, both submitting thoroughly amusing performances. Owen Wilson is conspicuously missing for the first time, but his place is assumed by Edward Norton, whose clumsily heroic and endearing scoutmaster is his best performance for a long, long time. Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton slot in nicely to the gang, and the two leading children (Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward) are spectacularly dry. They comfortably shine amidst so many accomplished stars. Completing the talent is a motley band of youthful actors who each compete for the "Best Delivered Line" award.
So the acting is great, the story is great, the direction is great. It is "arty", "nuanced" and at times "nonsensical", but never, ever "gash". For a Wes Anderson film – virtually a genre in itself – there is very little to fault. It is perhaps occasionally too quirky, carrying amusement into bemusement; and takes a little while to get going, but those are mere whinings in search of a complaint. Simply put, it is an thoroughly enjoyable movie.
If you are patient, open-minded and long to be fourteen again, you will have a brilliant 94 minutes. If not, simply be open-minded, and you might just end up discovering that you are all of the above.
If you are patient, open-minded and long to be fourteen again, you will have a brilliant 94 minutes. If not, simply be open-minded, and you might just end up discovering that you are all of the above.
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