Moonrise Kingdom
Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDomand, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward
Directed By: Wes Anderson
Review: Danielle Muir
[rating: 3.5/5]
Wes Anderson delivers his next piece in the quirky puzzle of his filmic career in the form of ‘Moonrise Kingdom’, a modern day subdued Romeo and Juliet. With added eye shadow, gouging and scout badges.
Sam Shudusky, fed up with his life as a khaki scout and social outcast, abandons his camp in order to unite with his pen pal. Susy is a ‘troubled child’ with outbursts issues and a scowl that could reduce even the most confident to tears. Together they abscond from their lives and respective authority figures to find their own little piece of paradise.
The two young leads work well together, quirky without being annoying. The perfect oddball pair. Susy is stonefaced and smoky eyed while Sam is just the geeky oddball in a troupe of geeky oddballs – but his big glasses, chubby cheeks and innocence counteract Suzy’s constant menace. The adults are all hilarious in their offbeat roles, especially Norton as Scout Leader. It’s interesting how all the grownups just continuously circle the children’s universe, always trying to help with the best intentions but predominantly falling flat. Again most of the humour in the film comes out of the over-the-top nature of the way they play their parts.
The earthy colour tones of the environment plants a warm feeling inside your chest, and makes you almost nostalgic about a childhood you never had. Well, I never had. The trees, the dirt, everything is beautifully hued.
It’s the second half that has prevented this film from hitting the four star mark. The pace lags too much – and certain events that transpire seem a little unfitting. Things go from being quietly adorable to confused and a little in-your-face, which is off-putting when you’ve enjoyed the subtly thus far. You wish they would just wrap it up with some concluding event instead of the constant drag.
In conclusion, Moonrise Kingdom is a nice, colourful little escape from the everyday. It’s a quaint tale of two renegade children and their quest for freedom. Despite a lacklustre last quarter, it is worth the ticket price for the magic of the other scenes.
