Moonrise Kingdom - Movie Review
Let’s get the praises out of the way. This is Wes Anderson’s best work yet, a culmination of his iconic styles, from slow panning scenes, unforgettable yellow fonts and a penchant for the perfect soundtrack to dramatize what would have been a boring scene.
Previous movies have hit close to the mark, such as the cult favorite The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou with a similar style that drags on for far too long or the more recent Mr Fantastic Fox, but the balance is right on the ball with Moonrise Kingdom. He uses his eccentricities to decorate and spice up a quirky love story between two children, relying on their precociousness and sense of adventure to create a whimsical world that is so precious, you will smile even in moments of disbelief.
The cinematography is immaculately framed, each element placed exactly where it should be, creating a stop motion photography book, a moving poetry that talks up young love, courage, and how there is so much we can learn from the innocence and purity of children.
So let’s picture this. A boy mature beyond his young age of 12 immediately acts on his desire to know a girl of similar age, bothering to the point of social awkwardness in the way that he asked “what kind of bird are you?” in the theatre back room. Or a scene where they escape and run away together, traveling to set up camp at a beach to be away from everyone. Place two adults as the main characters, and immediately the movie turns from lovable to hollywood cliche, falling apart before you can even say “Moonrise”. The beauty of the movie lies in the ability of Wes Anderson to make use of his child actors to communicate emotions that you have to literally feel, instead of it telling you what you should be feeling.
Therein lies the core of the show, the innocence of children that puts you into a world where you can suspend your disbelief to laugh at the ridiculousness of them boogeying down to the tunes of a portable vinyl player in just their underwear.
Of course, the show is not entirely about the child actors, but it is also about the search for them by the adults leaving on the isolated island. Bill Murray makes his customary appearance in the movie, and puts in his usual excellent deadpan performance as the father of the girl, supported by Bruce Willis who fits perfectly into a role as a lonely policeman just trying to do his job. The nuances of the actors complements the children, forming a wonderful picture that will capture the hearts of many.
And yet, this is where the movie falters slightly. The preciousness of the movie can get too overwhelming for viewers who wish for a little bit more reality and plausibility in the story. I had a couple shake their head in disbelief and left the theatre even before the movie climaxed into the end of the search of the two children, and I couldn’t understand it then.
Moonrise Kingdom successfully takes a child’s imagination and paints it into a palpable dish that most adults will be able to swallow and understand. It will make you laugh, it will make you go awww, and it will leave you breathless. 5 stars, Mr Wes Anderson, you have outdid yourself.
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