An offbeat story of childhood innocence and discovery set on an isolated coastal town in New England in 1965. When two young misfits who have fallen in love decide to run away together, the local police force and members of the scouts band together to try and find them.
There are a few certainties that come with a Wes Anderson film: there will be a dysfunctional family, children will act like adults, adults will act like children and it will probably have Bill Murray in it. On all accounts this is a typical Wes Anderson film (if there is such a thing) that offers all his usual themes and once again sees him teaming up with Bill Murray (sixth time!). However Moonrise Kingdom is slighty more focused than his other films, with Anderson displaying a clear and beautiful vision, making it his best film to date.
There is no denying Wes Anderson is a unique filmmaker as he continues to make quirky independent films that are often hard to relate to, but are at the very least hard to forget. Anderson always manages to deal with serious themes such as depression or divorce in a way that is funny while at the same time appreciating their significance. I believe Moonrise Kingdom is Anderson's best film for many reasons but one of the major reasons is the quality of the set design and cinematography. The attention to detail that Anderson and his team put in to bring the childhood like vision to life is amazing. The result is a film rich with beauty, nostalgia and imagination.
This film boasts an impressive cast from Bruce Willis as Captain Sharp, the town's sad and lonely policeman, Edward Norton as Scout Master Ward and parents of missing girl Suzy; Bill Murray and Frances McDormand. The entire cast is excellently cast with Norton the standout for me, as he is hilarious as the dedicated Scout Master who continues to hang on to the leadership of his scout group even when a member of his camp runs away. The only disappointment was Murray as I was waiting for his character to display a bit more of a personality. His character while essential to the feel of the movie was lacking Murray's trademark quirkiness or eccentric nature that he does so well. The two runaways: Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) are both excellent as the true stars of the film and although Sam is hard to hear at times it's hard to take anything away from their performances.
Bill Murray isn't the only actor to be a regular member of Anderson's cast, in fact Anderson continues to use many of the same actors throughout his films. Besides Murray perhaps his most notable collaborator is Owen Wilson who has been involved with every single Anderson film except Moonrise Kingdom. Other regulars include Jason Schwartzman who has a small but very memorable role in this film as Cousin Ben as well as Tilda Swinton aka Social Services, looking to take Sam away. It's a testament to the quality of Anderson's direction and writing that these actors continue to come back and star in his films. Even if all of Anderson's films aren't to your taste, there's no doubt his films are interesting and very attractive for actors.
Once again Anderson has created an entourage of dysfunctional yet intriguing characters that all play a role in his unconventional story. Moonrise Kingdom is an adventure that is both imaginative, beautiful, funny and at times inspiring that offers a very honest insight into childhood innocence and hope.
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