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Moonrise Kingdom Reviewed by Tim Grierson
The enchanting sweetness of director Wes Ander- son’s 2009 foray into animation, Fantastic Mr Fox, has been transplanted into his return to live-action film-making: Moonrise Kingdom, a delicate period love story whose slightness is mitigated by its deep feeling. Those who have complained that Ander- son makes the exact same twee, precious, man- nered deadpan comedy every time out will have plenty here to further their argument, but this bit- tersweet bauble so confidently goes about its busi- ness that it is difficult to deny that Anderson knows his milieu and how to dramatise it eloquently. It seems safe to assume Moonrise Kingdom will
cater to the same niche arthouse crowds that embraced Rushmore and The Darjeeling Limited. Boasting his starriest cast since The Royal Tenen- baums, this Focus Features offering probably should not expect a significant box-office boost from the presence of Anderson newcomers Bruce Willis and Edward Norton, but its positioning as the prestige May 25 release of the US Memorial Day long weekend could help its theatrical returns. Moonrise Kingdom takes place on a small
New England island in 1965. Two pre-teen misfits — orphan Sam (Gilman) and troubled Suzy (Hay- ward) — fall for one another and decide to run away, which sparks a pursuit from Sam’s camp leader (Norton), the town sheriff (Willis) and Suzy’s parents (Murray and McDormand).
n 18 Screen International at Cannes May 17, 2012
COMPETITION — OPENINGNIGHT
US. 2012. 94mins Director Wes Anderson Production companies Indian Paintbrush, American Empirical International sales Focus Features International, www.
focusfeatures.com Producers Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson Executive producers Sam Hoffman, Mark Roybal Screenplay Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola Editor Andrew Weisblum Cinematography Robert Yeoman Production designer Adam Stockhausen Music Alexandre Desplat Main cast Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward
A quick plot synopsis of Moonrise Kingdom will
perhaps bring back memories of previous Ander- son films, whether it’s the precocious underage protagonist reminiscent of Rushmore or the family dysfunction that has been a central theme of all his work. The comparisons are obvious and inevitable, but if they do dull some of Moonrise Kingdom’s nov- elty, it is also important to note how Anderson has refined and deepened his approach over time to allow for a more layered, emotional resonance. Though the film has an impressive cast of indie-
minded actors, Anderson puts most of Moonrise Kingdom’s emotional weight on the shoulders of two relative unknowns. Initially there is a concern Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward simply do not have enough presence to carry the story along, but soon it becomes apparent that, unlike Rushmore’s hyper-articulate and competitive Max Fischer, these new characters are more withdrawn and introspective. Consequently, their bond is less about being soul mates than it is about a shared sense of being outcasts. Anderson and his co-writer Roman Coppola leave Sam and Suzy a bit underde- veloped, which robs them of some personality but at the same time makes the reveal of their darker impulses all the more shocking and unsettling. Indeed, Moonrise Kingdom sails along beauti-
fully when Anderson focuses on their courtship. Working with his long-time cinematographer Rob- ert Yeoman, the director succeeds in turning young love into precisely the intense, transitory, impossi- bly idyllic sensation it can be in real life. Utilising
the Rhode Island locations to good effect, Moonrise Kingdom is like a live-action storybook of open skies and empty terrain in which Sam and Suzy can run free, creating a new life away from the sadness of their previous existence. Very consciously, Anderson signals the fact this Eden cannot last, which gives the film such poignancy. Interestingly, it is when this comedy spends time
with its more famous cast members that things get a bit wobbly. The adults are not meant to be the central characters, but their involvement tends to drag down the story rather than elevate it. On one level this seems intentional, as Anderson contrasts the almost magical enchantment of Sam and Suzy’s getaway with the mundane foibles and fail- ings of the grown-ups around them. But the problem comes in the fact the film-mak-
ers have not done enough to provide definition to these supporting players. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand are fitfully
amusing but nothing more as Suzy’s lawyer par- ents, being too wrapped up in their work to prop- erly address her emotional troubles. Likewise, Norton and Willis give likeable performances as ineffectual male role models for Sam, but there is not enough comic inspiration underlying the char- acters. Anderson clearly wants us to concentrate on Sam and Suzy, but one wishes he did not do it so much to the detriment of everyone else on screen.
SCREEN SCORE ★★★
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