2012: The Year in Film: "Moonrise Kingdom" Review

Few, if any, filmmakers are as distinctive and insular as Wes Anderson.  His unique, often childlike, hipster-retro aesthetic that is a uniting feature across all of his films (excepting, arguably, "Bottle Rocket") makes him a favorite among a certain set.  I fit into that set.  As a confession, I own all of Wes Anderson's films, and I'm pretty sure he's the only director for whom that is the case.  Some treat his aesthetic (roughly summed up as the pinterest page of a 29 year old MFA retro Manic Pixie Dream Girl with a healthy dose of indie rock tunes) as a negative, while I would argue that the quirky, quaint world allows for realistic characters and often emotionally powerful and occasional profound story to shine without getting caught up in the constraints of a needlessly complicated world.  Indie movies try this all the time.. and yet Anderson's films are infinitely more expansive than just about every indie movie you'll run across, with more characters, a grander setting and a more expansive plot.  In my book, I'll count that as a strength.  His films, Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited and Fantastic Mr. Fox often feature the same group of actors, and seem to take place in the same universe.

Into this world comes "Moonrise Kingdom", which takes place on a fictional small island community in 1965, featuring a quirky cast of characters including a troop of "Khaki Scouts" and their scoutmaster (Edward Norton), a family with unhappy lawyers for parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDurmond), a small-time police captain (Bruce Willis). Among this community are an orphaned Khaki Scout, Sam (newcomer Jared Gilman) and "troubled youth" Suzy (newcomer Kara Hayward). After a chance meeting and letter correspondence, Sam and Suzy decide to run off into the wilderness together. The two lonely, strange young lovers bond in the woods while the grown ups and deputized Khaki Scouts pursue them as a tropical storm approaches.  Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman have small, but memorable roles.

Arguably, Anderson has been obsessed with adolescence and the fading innocence of childhood for his entire career as a filmmaker and here addressed it head-on, treating his youthful protagonists as earnestly and sincerely as any of the adults in this film or in any film he's done. This honesty and sincerity, combined with Anderson's usual charming character work and infectious humor and dialogue, is whimsical, sweet, irreverent and ultimately very sweet. Our young heroes win the audience and the film's characters over the course of the film, culminating in a tense and charming last half hour.
 
The film's strengths are the aesthetics and the acting, as a talented cast, charming setting and irreverent plot can't help but win you over. Norton, Willis, and the two main characters are the film's strong suits. By taking the children as seriously as he takes his adults, Anderson tells a sweet and effective story through their eyes. It's a less-tragic Romeo and Juliet meets the Life Aquatic, and that's a winning comination in my book. If you like Wes Anderson, you're guaranteed to like this one. The tone is pitch-perfect and this film, while irreverent, certainly has its charms. The film is ultimately sweet, silly and charming, choosing the right tone to explore the story of young lovers who find companionship in one another.

Ultimately, it's funny, it's charming, it's well-acted and strangely believable if incredibly quirky, and does a great job of depicting childhood.  It's a bit too short and irreverent to be counted among Anderson's best, but it's a damn good time at the movies.

8/10