Movie Reviews: Moonrise Kingdom
I missed the boat on this when it first came out in 2012 and now finally seeing it, I wish I had watched it sooner. Moonrise Kingdom is the sort of romantic film about youth that even younger people can properly ‘get.’ The feel of the movie stays with you a long time partly because it’s just such a simple love story. Two lonely misunderstood teenagers fall in love and run off together. That’s basically it. Mixed in is a colorful cast led by Edward Norton as the young boy’s scout master, Bruce Willis as the small town sheriff charged with finding them, and even Harvey Keitel, Francis McDormand, and Bill Murray in endearing bit parts. The setting is probably one of the movie’s best characters. A nostalgic, rustic New England island full of scenic coastlines and forests.
I love the way Wes Anderson films feel like plays. The feeling comes from both the writing and the camera work. Regarding the former, this one is as charming as ever with its intro not wasting any time getting into the adventure. The cinematography is also a joy. The deliberate use of space and framing in the camera work creates the distinct impression that the story would work just as well on a stage. The way Anderson films are shot is just so inspired. You could freeze on just about any frame and get something poster-worthy.
Overall this is a great film with two blemishes that keep it from being transcendent. Firstly, there is an element of underage sexuality portrayed in the film that I think goes right up to the line of appropriateness without crossing it. Still, I think it could have been handled more tastefully. Second, I think the overall performances were a bit too detached, even for a Wes Anderson film. A bit more passion and a little less self-awareness would have given this the heart it needed to be one of the decade’s best.
Grade: B+
