Moonrise kingdom is the enchanting 8th film by director Wes Anderson. Set in the stormy days of the summer of 1965, this marvellous tale follows a pair of young lovers whom choose to escape the constraints of their New England town. Thus throwing the local inhabitants into a quirky quest to find them. Wes Anderson is a director who's style consistently divides people. Many perceive him to be overly obsessive, with a fetish for luxurious fonts, meticulously left field dialogue and oh so symmetrical tracking shots which creates a sense of surrealism that alienates the audience.
However, Moonrise Kingdom encompasses everything wonderful about the Wes Anderson world. This film is lively and madly original as expected of a Wes Anderson escapade, but still remains captivating as Anderson has created individuals we care for. The performances are unconventionally terrific, with a decorated cast ranging from the Anderson commodities Bill Murray (providing a face that has been described as like porridge falling down a wall) and Jason Schwartzman, to the new arrivals of Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton and Bruce Willis. All providing a flare that the picture thrives on.
The most impressive of these veteran cast members has to be Edward Norton whom here flexes unrevealed acting muscles as a loveable Khaki Scout leader. As an actor notable for his darker more complex roles in such films as Fight club and American History X, it would not be expected that Norton would be the ideal choice for a role which spouts phrases such as "Jiminy Cricket, he flew the coop!". But Norton tremendously hits a square peg into a round hole so seamlessly that we forget that this was once the man who founded... Well the first rule says we can't talk about it... But you get my point.
Despite the strong ensemble the main strength of the movie lies with Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the runaway lovers. The dialogue conjured up by Anderson and Coppola could easily be seen as encouraging an off-beat delivery, but the interaction between Gilman and Hayward grounds the film, providing realism yet still maintaining its humbling qualities. This aids the film greatly making what could easily be surreal believable and as the audience we become invested in the romance between the two. Their chemistry is tremendous allowing the simplest of glances to connote depth to their relationship. We laugh and may even cry because of this factor and it is the catalyst that drives the movie at a charming pace.
The picture really does excel itself in the third act. The conclusion is gripping as the pathetic fallacy of the impending storm comes to a climax. Every aspect seems crafted in Anderson's perfectly intricate fashion, and due to our investment in the characters, the film (many would argue unlike Anderson's previous work) remains on the rails and never overindulgent.
Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, in my opinion, is the best example of his work. The film for me is a magnificent journey that, in a year which gave us the highly loathsome Piranha 3DD, stood out from the generic crowd reinvigorating my confidence that film can be both a piece of art and storytelling. The performances are compelling and I oddly find myself laughing consistently throughout the picture. I would recommend the film as a outside the box classic that, if you are fond of Anderson, will not be a disappointment.
My score: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
IMDB: 7.8/10
Did you know?: The film opened in only four theaters, two in New York and two in Los Angeles, but earned $167,250 per screen, the all-time record for highest per-theater box office average of a non-animated film.
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