If I could get to choose to come back in my next life
to a world created by a filmmaker it would have to one by inspired fantasist
Wes Anderson, and preferably the one where ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ is based. In this his 7th feature he
conjures up an idyllic 1965 New England sunny summer on an unspoiled storybook
near-perfect island where first love can bloom and innocence bounds everywhere,
even in the adults.
to a world created by a filmmaker it would have to one by inspired fantasist
Wes Anderson, and preferably the one where ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ is based. In this his 7th feature he
conjures up an idyllic 1965 New England sunny summer on an unspoiled storybook
near-perfect island where first love can bloom and innocence bounds everywhere,
even in the adults.
Young Sam is a skinny geeky-looking 12 year old who is
very serious about his life, especially regarding Suzy the object of his love,
whom he persuades to run away to the other side of the island so they can start
a new life together. He’s an orphan
who’s been abandoned by his foster parents and he’s considered something of
misfit in the Scout Troop Camp that he has escaped from. Suzy, also 12 years old, has temper tantrums,
two very small brothers and eccentric lawyer parents who she knows consider her
as troubled because she found a leaflet in their big mansion home called
‘Coping With The Very Troubled Child’.
Sam and Suzy are old before their time (he smokes a pipe and she wears
blue eye-shadow) and they both are certainly a lot wiser than the adults in
this wonderfully enchanting tale.
very serious about his life, especially regarding Suzy the object of his love,
whom he persuades to run away to the other side of the island so they can start
a new life together. He’s an orphan
who’s been abandoned by his foster parents and he’s considered something of
misfit in the Scout Troop Camp that he has escaped from. Suzy, also 12 years old, has temper tantrums,
two very small brothers and eccentric lawyer parents who she knows consider her
as troubled because she found a leaflet in their big mansion home called
‘Coping With The Very Troubled Child’.
Sam and Suzy are old before their time (he smokes a pipe and she wears
blue eye-shadow) and they both are certainly a lot wiser than the adults in
this wonderfully enchanting tale.
There’s trouble brewing for the runaways as a
hurricane is heading their way, as are the assorted grown ups who are
determined to spoil their paradise. Anderson
has filled the cast with many of his regular adult stars who excel in the small but significant roles they play. Led by a rather splendid Bruce
Willis as the comical local Police Captain (who is the Island’s only
policeman). He’s incidentally having an affair with Suzy’s mother played by Frances McDormand who’s in the search
party with her dithering husband (Bill
Murray), and the pair are tragically funny as the unhappily married
parents. Then there’s Ed Norton who is
pitch perfect as the wacky chain-smoking inept Scout leader egged on by his bullying
Chief (Harvey Keitel) and his
crooked cousin Ben (Jason Schwartzman), and it’s beautifully rounded off with the subliminal Tilda Swinton as the dramatically caped
official figure known only as Social
Services. And the whole story of the young couple’s tryst is narrated by a
deliciously droll Bob Balaban
hurricane is heading their way, as are the assorted grown ups who are
determined to spoil their paradise. Anderson
has filled the cast with many of his regular adult stars who excel in the small but significant roles they play. Led by a rather splendid Bruce
Willis as the comical local Police Captain (who is the Island’s only
policeman). He’s incidentally having an affair with Suzy’s mother played by Frances McDormand who’s in the search
party with her dithering husband (Bill
Murray), and the pair are tragically funny as the unhappily married
parents. Then there’s Ed Norton who is
pitch perfect as the wacky chain-smoking inept Scout leader egged on by his bullying
Chief (Harvey Keitel) and his
crooked cousin Ben (Jason Schwartzman), and it’s beautifully rounded off with the subliminal Tilda Swinton as the dramatically caped
official figure known only as Social
Services. And the whole story of the young couple’s tryst is narrated by a
deliciously droll Bob Balaban
Mr Anderson struck gold with the casting of his two
young lovers (Jared Gillian & Kara Hayward) who are innocence personified
and so delightfully both odd and cute, and you wonder why they actually want to grow up so
quickly given the state of the adults in their world
young lovers (Jared Gillian & Kara Hayward) who are innocence personified
and so delightfully both odd and cute, and you wonder why they actually want to grow up so
quickly given the state of the adults in their world
Anderson has paid great attention to every single
detail to make this movie such a sheer visual and audio delight, and with a
script he co-wrote with Roman Coppola
it is equally both touching and sweet whilst being hilariously funny. You have
an overwhelming sense that it was all such a labor of love and one can only
imagine the joy that making this movie must have been for them all.
detail to make this movie such a sheer visual and audio delight, and with a
script he co-wrote with Roman Coppola
it is equally both touching and sweet whilst being hilariously funny. You have
an overwhelming sense that it was all such a labor of love and one can only
imagine the joy that making this movie must have been for them all.
I know that Anderson’s movies and his take on life are
not to everyone’s taste, and I am truly sorry, for those that don’t ‘get them’. As Manohla Dargis summed up so beautifully in
the ‘NY Times’ : ‘he makes films about small worlds in which big things
happen’. They are worlds of innocence
and sheer joy, and I for one would hate
to miss out on any one of them. Especially this one.
not to everyone’s taste, and I am truly sorry, for those that don’t ‘get them’. As Manohla Dargis summed up so beautifully in
the ‘NY Times’ : ‘he makes films about small worlds in which big things
happen’. They are worlds of innocence
and sheer joy, and I for one would hate
to miss out on any one of them. Especially this one.
★★★★★★★★★★
