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| Source: http://www.themoviejerk.co.uk/film-reviews/arthouse/ |
Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriters: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Stars: Jared Gilman, Kara Heyward, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton
Trailer link
IMDb page
My first Anderson:
It has not been more than a year since I finally started exploring Wes Anderson's famous filmography, and Moonrise Kingdom was the first movie of his that I saw. I often think back to that day and remember how shocked I was that this guy had been making movies for two decades without me ever really knowing about it, and feeling as if I had just discovered an entirely new world of original content and endless cinematic possibilities that I had never had a clue even existed. After my initiation I tied myself to a chair and swallowed Anderson's entire back catalogue in a few days, just in time for the danish premiere of The Grand Budapest Hotel, which I sought out as soon as I possibly could. Never before and never since have I become as infatuated with a filmmaker in such a short amount of time as I did with Wes, and although Moonrise Kingdom is not my personal favourite film of his (Rushmore will always be my Rushmore), it holds a very special place in my heart as the movie that introduced me to one of my all time favourite filmmakers.
Familiar on the surface, entirely original underneath:
Moonrise Kingdom takes place in the 1960's on a fictitious island off the coast of New England, and centers around a pair of misfit teenagers and the adults who fail at making them feel welcome in this world. Sam is an orphaned khaki scout of the 55th battalion who has been in and out of foster homes for many years, and Suzy is a mildly depressed schoolgirl who would rather read books and listen to records than be around her dysfunctional family. The two of them decide to run away from home in search of a place in the woods where they can be together and not have to worry about all their troubles, but to their surprise, Suzy's Parents, Sam's scout leader and the island's only police officer actually care enough about them to launch a search party. This might sound like the synopsis of your typical teen-romance or Bunny and Clyde-inspired story of love and teen angst (you just don't understand me mom!), but luckily, Moonrise Kingdom is not like that at all.
Characters a la Wes Anderson:
Beyond the trademark Anderson quirks, quips and bittersweet sense of melancholy, the main thing about this film that makes it substantially better than any other movie about young love that I have seen in my short life, is the fact that I entirely bough the fact that its main characters were, you know, in love. Whether this is thanks to the film's incredible young actors or Anderson's and Roman Coppola's Oscar nominated script I can not say, but I just can not keep myself from falling head-over-heels in love with both of Moonrise Kingdom's main characters every time I watch the film. Following these young human beings as they explore the world they live in while realizing how vise beyond their years they have had to become in order to cope with life is just downright enchanting to me, and by the time the film comes to an end, I feel as if I have been on a real journey with these characters and understand them in ways that no one else could. They feel like childhood friends to me, and in my experience, only very few filmmakers manage to reach the same level of character immersion as Wes Anderson does time and time again.
There is a storm coming:
The more you watch and start picking up on some of the more supple themes in Moonrise Kingdom, the more you start realizing that this is a film with much more on its heart than it initially lets you to believe. We follow a meteorologist In a series of seemingly unnecessary scenes throughout the movie, and although it is later revealed that his weather forecasts play a big part in the climax of the film, there are a bunch of different ways to read these scenes and interpret the information that the character feeds us. I did not pick up on most of these subtle meanings on my first viewing of Moonrise Kingdom, and knowing Wes Anderson, I will probably find even more interesting stuff to explore the next time I rewatch one of his films. One of the most obvious themes in this particular movie is the way in which the characters played by Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis and Edward Norton still have yet to mature into adulthood, and as Willis' character truthfully reflects, we quickly realize that these people probably know less about life than the troubled teenagers who they are searching for.
Strong individual elements forming an even stronger unit:
If you are hesitant about taking on the world that is Wes Anderson's filmography, I know exactly how you feel. People may tell you that his distinct visual techniques, quirky set designs, trademark costumes and intimidatingly talented casts are what sets him apart from other filmmakers, but in my book, the thing that makes these movies stand out does not come down to any of those sweet and fascinating gimmicks. You can have as many bells and whistles in your movie as you want to, but if your characters do not work, your story is going to feel flat and unengaging. Luckily Wes Anderson's characters always work, all 20 of them, in every single movie he has ever made, and more than anything, they are what keeps me coming back to his films. Sam and Suzy and all the other imperfectly perfect personalities from Anderson's films will linger in your mind longer than most other filmmakers' characters will, and giving Moonrise Kingdom a chance back then is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
