Genre:
Romantic Comedy / Drama
Directed
by: Wes Anderson
Starring:
Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton
Running
time: 94 minutes
My
favorite Wes Anderson film, Moonrise Kingdom is a true off-beat masterpiece who
could have easily failed but who stands proudly and strong on the shoulders of
two young newcomers in cinema.
Moonrise
Kingdom tells the story of a troubled young 12-year old orphan who runs away
from his summer Khaki Scout camp to be with a girl his age he met a year before
and had become pen pal with ever since. The two kids, who both feel estranged
within their respective families and who just cannot seem to fit in anywhere
else, will do all that they can to stay together and never be separated again.
The
roles of Sam Shakusky and Suzy Bishop, the two main characters, are played by
Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, two newcomers in the film industry. With kids as
actors, it can go either way; it can be really bad and come off really
amateurish or it can be surprisingly good. With Moonrise Kingdom, we get the
latter. The two young ones offer some solid, believable performances. They work
it as old pros as they take us on an emotional, yet unconventional, ride through
the lives of their characters and the world around them. Kudos to director Wes
Anderson for finding them and for getting the best out of them.
Around
the two main actors is an ensemble cast filled with talented experienced
actors, and, in some cases, a few regulars of the Wes Anderson universe. A
special mention to Bruce Willis, who shows some great vulnerability in his
character, something he hasn’t really shown too often in the past.
True
to his style, the director doesn’t tell his story in regular fashion here. Some
issues, who could have come off as overly dramatic, are related to us in such a
tone that it makes us smile instead of cry. That was a nice touch. The use of
colors in the scenery and the decors and the use of music are also prevalent,
true to Wes Anderson style.
Overall,
Moonrise Kingdom is a great film that may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it
came off to me as a great off-beat tale about fitting in and finding your own little
niche in this big world of ours.
Rating:
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