Moonrise Kingdom

Cirque du Cinema’s rating: 8.5/10

Set The Scene

Set on a tiny New England island in the 1960s, a young boy and a girl develop a friendship that blossoms into love, prompting them to make their escape and run away from home to live in the wild forests of the island. A local search party is formed to find the pair, made up of the boy’s former scout group and their scout leader, the local Sheriff and the girl’s parents.

So, what did you think?

Ok, so I’m not completely new to Wes Anderson, having seen ‘The Fantastic Mr. Fox’ and ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ (the latter of which we showed at my university Fine Film society, accompanied by what can only be described as a smorgasbord of Indian food…mmm). I very much liked ‘The Darjeeling Limited’, as its stylistic filming conveyed an almost brooding tone about the film, giving it a greater depth and meaning than was conveyed by just the events of the film itself.

While Moonrise Kingdom carries a very different tone, both films are unmistakably Wes Andersons’ babies. But I can’t put my finger on what it is about both films that marks them out as so. Moonrise Kingdom’s tone is simultaneously light hearted, and moving; the storyline and events that occur are amusing and the conversation is quick and comic. The children, who outshine Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Bruce Willis’ hefty presences, have conversations that truly feel organic and are sweetly funny. And yet, beyond all the ‘cute’ conversation, there is an underlying tone of lost childhood innocence, perhaps brought to the surface by the slight homage to Peter Pan that is evident throughout the film. Towards the end of the film, my eyes welled (and believe me when I say, it takes a lot to trigger that phenomenon), but not with sadness, with a sweet nostalgic joy…and I wasn’t even born in the 60’s! There are genuinely poignant moments in the movie, not just from main story following the young boy and girl’s desperation to run away from it all and stay together, but also from its adult characters, exploring relationships, and what we all mean to each other in an indirect manner.

I am partial to picking out outstanding performances from a film, and for me, none stood out more so than Jared Gilman as Sam and Kara Hayward as Suzy. As far as I am aware, they are unknowns, but have been selected perfectly for the roles. I predict that this film will catapult them to great things in future. Bruce Willis and Ed Norton play unusual roles, as the island’s Sheriff and the Scout Master. I wondered if Bruce Willis had been miscast, but after seeing the movie, I realise that this only serves to further demonstrate Willis’ versatility as a great actor. In all honesty, while I very much like Bill Murray, his performance, whilst suiting the tone of the film, feels a little like some of his previous work, so expect the expected from him on this occasion.

This movie elegantly balances a humorous, light-hearted and fun tone, with a deeper meaning.

Roll the Credits!

Mrs. Bishop: Does it concern that your daughter has run away from home?

Mr. Bishop: That’s a loaded question