Moonrise Kingdom 2012
I’m not sure why I keep returning to Wes Anderson movies, but I have seen almost all of them now. Moonrise Kingdom got some critical acclaim when it came out, and it was one of the less bad choices during a free HBO weekend. I like Edward Norton and thought the movie would be more about him, but as with all of the other big name actors in this movie, his is a supporting part for the main characters who are 12-year-old kids.
Anderson’s weird characters can get depressing (Darjeeling Limited) or kind of loathsome (Gene Hackman in The Royal Tennenbaums), but when he sticks to kids (like in Rushmore), they are easier to accept with their quirks and social awkwardness. At heart, this story isn’t that complicated, but it is a fun adventure, like from a children’s novel that one of the film’s characters reads from. I liked those kinds of books as a kid as well, so it makes sense I would like this. I enjoyed the weird characters and stilted acting, even as the movie took some awkward steps with love scenes (of a sort) with the child actors. Similar to the main character in Rushmore, the main character here is anti-social and dreams bigger than he can deliver, but still is quite capable. His love interest is suitably dark, but cares for him despite his failings.
People who don’t know what to expect could absolutely hate this movie, but as long as they realize that they will see something very offbeat, they should be pretty happy with the result. I’ll give this an A-.
Written: 21 Jul 2013
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital