Wes Anderson returns with “Moonrise Kingdom,” which takes us back to the summer of 1965 to an island off the coast of New England – where two 12-year-olds fall in love. Sam (Jared Gilman) is a runaway Khaki Scout who had met Suzy (Kara Hayward) one year earlier. They make a pact to be runaways together, exploring the island with their specific bare essentials. This prompts a search party that consists of Suzy’s parents (played by Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), the island policeman Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), and the Khaki Scout troop leader Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) with the rest of the scouts.
The ensemble cast also includes Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban as the Narrator. The entire cast fits perfectly with Anderson’s witty, dry humor. Both Anderson’s veteran reoccurring actors along with the talented newcomers make for a nice array of quirky characters – especially Edward Norton. Bruce Willis as the incompetent Captain Sharp shows him in a role that is completely different than any other in his career.
Anderson has once again proven he is a master at his craft in this film. One of its incredible strengths is its precise attention to detail in each shot with indelible depth and especially in the art direction and set decoration. There are times where there is so much going on during a scene that it could only be caught perfectly with Anderson’s direction and the keen eye of cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman. Also, being the first film for both Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward – magnificent debuts.
The humor and style that unmistakably is Wes Anderson, stands out more in this film when compared to the more subtle nature of his previous films. Although still funny and witty, it seems to get a bit pretentious. Owen Wilson and Bill Murray especially were spot on with performing seriously while being funny at the same time in Anderson’s earlier work. But in the end, with “Moonrise Kingdom” you get a funny, well written comedy-drama with a tad of brutality that makes for a film worth seeing.
The film has shown great success so far, having reached the top ten standing in the box office. There is no question that it will blow up to more screens with more profits. It seems audiences are interested in seeing Anderson’s new indie film with big names to take a break from the more main stream blockbusters.
“Moonrise Kingdom” is playing in select theaters.
