Moonrise Kingdom, 2012.
Directed by Wes Anderson.
Starring Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel and Jason Schwartzman.
SYNOPSIS:
A local search party sets out to track down two twelve-year-olds who have fallen in love and made a pact to run away together.
Where to even begin with Moonrise Kingdom? Being a massive Wes Anderson fangirl as it stands, I already had perhaps unwarranted high expectations for this film. Moonrise Kingdom exceeded them.
The film tells the tale of two young pen pals who fall in love and run away together on an isolated island community in New England. With a hurricane approaching, their relatives and carers set out to look for them. All the while, Suzy and Sam, our young protagonists, are surviving out in the wilderness and faring perhaps better than their pursuers. Ultimately the two children contribute to the absolution and self-actualisation of those around them more than they do achieve their own independence, which they seek so determinedly.
As always, Wes Anderson weaves a poignant and sublime story with interwoven plots and conflicted characters. The gloomy setting of their New England town in the 1960s contributes perfectly to an overwhelming sense of isolation and abandonment, accompanied by a haunting score from Alexandre Desplat. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, who play the two runaways, both offer a superbly implicit performance, undoubtedly under Anderson’s direction. Their quiet companionship and bizarre journey are touching and emotive. Kara’s character, who suffers from depression, displays particular inner conflict, much like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot Tenenbaum, and it is refreshing to see a younger version of such a beloved archetype. Colours are muted and distilled, and the use of pathetic fallacy to create a sense of impending doom, which comes to a head with the storm, is textbook. Bruce Willis as a slightly incompetent police officer who is having an affair with Suzy’s disinterested mother behind the back of Bill Murray is thought-provoking and humbling. The arc of Sam’s story intermingles with Captain Sharp’s own realisations and understandings of himself, and towards the end the film I came to realise that Sam and Suzy’s story was like a doll’s house version of Sharp and Mrs. Bishop’s own love story.
Elsewhere, Edward Norton is in charge of Sam’s scout troupe, and his character’s command of the young scouts is quietly comical. Norton is an unfamiliar face in an Anderson movie, and perhaps not an obvious choice when you consider his curriculum vitae. He does, however, deliver a charming performance with a character who is perhaps using the Khaki Scouts as a means of evading reality and responsibilities. Jason Schwartzman makes a short appearance as a Khaki Scout who ends up marrying Sam and Suzy, again contributing to the comical absurdity of the storyline, whilst maintaining its relatable nature. After all, everyone’s been in love. And when you’re twelve, love is the whole universe.
So in all, Moonrise Kingdom is another success for Anderson, and a delight to watch. Each character’s story is told with delicate hands and words, and the result is a truly remarkable tale. The maturity of such young actors and characters is astounding, and the fact that the innocence of the story is prevalent means that there is a strong possibility that Moonrise Kingdom has replaced The Royal Tenenbaums as my new favourite Wes Anderson film.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Kirsty Capes
Originally published September 30, 2012. Updated April 11, 2018.
