Moonrise Kingdom
Rating:
Cast: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward
Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Frances
McDormand
Director: Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson's latest whimsical outing collects together
eccentricities, visual gags and quirks aplenty as it unfolds on the
screen.
Set in 1965 New England, a tale of first love blooms as scout
Sam (first time actor Gilman) breaks out from his troop and meets
his love Suzy (also, first time actress Hayward) who frees herself
from the shackles of her lawyer family (played by the ever deadpan
Bill Murray and a stoic Frances McDormand).
But the 12 year old pair's escape doesn't go unnoticed in the
small New England time and a search is launched for them as a
hurricane approaches.
Moonrise Kingdom is trademark Anderson with his usual
idiosyncratic quirkiness still present but dialled down a
little.
The music of Benjamin Britten forms a major backbone
of this lightly deft piece which is dazzlingly funny and heartfully
humorous throughout, despite dealing with slightly precocious kids
and more innocent times.
A star-packed cast offers up the very best of what's given
to them but the film belongs firmly to the two leads and Anderson,
whose eye for the artfully insane and utterly charming are once
again spot on in this crowd pleasing sure-fire audience
winner.
The main duo of Hayward and Gilman work very well together
in this film which is drenched in the yellow tones of the 1960s;
their performances are cute and watchable, as the little moments in
the film make you laugh. It's a comedy of deadpan deliciousness in
places which is sly and wry.
Moonrise Kingdom is a delight; it's a salute to the simplicities of childish times as we view the unfolding romance. Coupled with some delightful comic rhythms, it's nothing short of a cinematic treat.