Wes Anderson films are a rare breed, but possibly not as rare as he’d like to think. They’re talky, quirky and humorous while being set against a bleak backdrop, full of characters who are a bit sad. In many ways, they’re a Woody Allen film. Not that that’s is a bad thing, I’m a huge Woody Allen fan. In a similar way to Allen, Anderson’s films tend to garner critical acclaim more so than box office rewards and I see no evidence for that changing with Moonrise Kingdom.
Here Anderson teams up with a gaggle of his usual suspects (Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman and co-producer, Molly Cooper) while welcoming new faces to the Anderson alumni in the form of Frances McDormand (taking a leave of absence from Team Coen), Bruce Willis and Ed Norton. What transpires is an unmitigated joy from start to finish!
What’s it about?
Sam is an orphan, who while on a camping trip with his Scout group runs away with his young girlfriend, Suzy Bishop, triggering a search by local police, social services and the girl’s parents. That’s about it, actually.
Anderson’s films are traditionally scant in plot but rich in detail, of which this film has many. His signature quirks are all in place, including Mrs Bishop (McDormand) communicating with her children via a loudspeaker, Mr (Murray) and Mrs Bishop (both lawyers) referring to one another as ‘counsellor’ and the Scout Master Ward (Ed Norton) continually addressing one of his charges, with an unexplained eye patch, as ‘Lazy eye’. In the words of The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon, ‘all human life is here’…
The search team is completed by lone law enforcer of the town, Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis, in his best role in some time) and ‘Social Services’ represented by Oscar winner, Tilda Swinton. Swinton’s accreditation as ‘Social Services’ still has me chuckling now, if I’m honest.
Any good?
Yes! This is easily Anderson’s most accessible film since ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ and because of that, as with that film, ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ will probably do reasonably well commercially. It manages to maintain all the delicacies that make the director’s films unmistakable but adds a plot line that people will care about, while limiting oddities that can prevent Anderson films becoming commercial successes. The two leads, in their début films, are phenomenal, displaying naivete via mature performances. Willis is brilliant as policeman, Captain Sharp who develops a bond with Sam and Norton impresses as the inept Scout leader.
Verdict
Miss this at your peril. Sweet story, funny touches and great performances all neatly packaged into a parcel that is quintessentially Wes Anderson that should (but unfortunately may not) reach a wider audience than his usual fare.
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