Moonrise Kingdom is my very first introduction to director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums). Being a student of film, I made sure I did my research before seeing the film and writing this review. Apparently, Anderson is quite the polarizing figure among movie critics. Consider these competing reviews of Moonrise Kingdom from the two critics I follow most closely:
“Wes Anderson continues to be an acquired taste and/or a way for elitist film hipsters to show off how cool they are, but… he throws so much nonsensical stuff at the weaker-than-normal script, trying to make any of it stick, that Moonrise Kingdom feels like a giant waste of money and a caché of squandered talent” (Edward Douglas).
“Wes Anderson’s mind must be an exciting place for a story idea to be born. It immediately becomes more than a series of events and is transformed into a world with its own rules, in which everything is driven by emotions and desires as convincing as they are magical. Moonrise Kingdom creates such a world” (Roger Ebert).
See what I mean? Critics either love him or hate him. Which is why I feel out of place in this review, since I feel stuck squarely in the middle of popular opinions (kinda like how I feel about politics!).
Moonrise Kingdom starts by staking itself out as a painfully obvious indie film. It feels like it is trying to be quirky for the sole sake of being different. We get it, it’s not a mainstream film; you don’t need to try so hard to prove it. Yet by the time the film is over, Moonrise Kingdom has redeemed itself, despite some bumps along the way, as an interesting, unique, and delightful little film.
“Wes Anderson continues to be an acquired taste and/or a way for elitist film hipsters to show off how cool they are, but… he throws so much nonsensical stuff at the weaker-than-normal script, trying to make any of it stick, that Moonrise Kingdom feels like a giant waste of money and a caché of squandered talent” (Edward Douglas).
“Wes Anderson’s mind must be an exciting place for a story idea to be born. It immediately becomes more than a series of events and is transformed into a world with its own rules, in which everything is driven by emotions and desires as convincing as they are magical. Moonrise Kingdom creates such a world” (Roger Ebert).
See what I mean? Critics either love him or hate him. Which is why I feel out of place in this review, since I feel stuck squarely in the middle of popular opinions (kinda like how I feel about politics!).
Moonrise Kingdom starts by staking itself out as a painfully obvious indie film. It feels like it is trying to be quirky for the sole sake of being different. We get it, it’s not a mainstream film; you don’t need to try so hard to prove it. Yet by the time the film is over, Moonrise Kingdom has redeemed itself, despite some bumps along the way, as an interesting, unique, and delightful little film.
The plot centers on two young kids who run away together and the local search party that gathers to find them. As such, much of the weight of the film falls on the shoulders of the two child actors brought in to portray the primary protagonists. Relying on children to carry a film is always a dangerous prospect (just ask Thomas Horn, who many pointed to for the less than stellar reviews of last year’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close).
Moonrise Kingdom was the very first film for both of the film’s child actors, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. Their inexperience shows through and they obviously struggle with the decidedly more adult dialogue provided by Anderson. Hayward is clearly the superior presence on screen, saying as much with her piercing glares as she does in speech, while Gilman never quite develops a truly strong on-screen presence.
Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), a frequently Anderson collaborator, also has the unique talent of performing through his eyes, speaking volumes with a single look, and shows off this skill in Moonrise Kingdom. As the father of the escaping girl, Murray is joined by Frances McDormand (Fargo) as the mother, who happens to be having an affair with the town’s sheriff (Bruce Willis, The Sixth Sense).
McDormand and Willis deliver engaging performances as well, both emitting a subtle sadness at the seemingly inescapable roles their lives have led them to. Willis is particularly good here, surpassing the worth of some his most recent few roles combined. Lastly there’s Edward Norton (Fight Club) as a sweet, but bumbling scout master. It is a funny role, but also an important one, as I felt it was Norton more than any other cast member who set the tone for the entire film.
The characters these actors create are idiosyncratic from most other movie characters. Yet despite their unique oddities, they feel as though they could fit somewhere in the real world as some of those dreamers who keep to themselves, but can’t help but give off the sense that deep inside they ponder, explore, and discover the secrets of humanity. They’re weird, but warm-hearted; socially clumsy, but intuitive about true human motivations.
The dialogue is also witty. Conversations and monologues are delivered as series of short sentences, a typical style of such indie films, which makes Moonrise Kingdom a subtle comedy in addition to a drama. “The plot isn't as fetching as the presentation, starting with the tersely whimsical dialogue. There aren't punch lines for big laughs, but rather a seamless series of non sequiturs for smiles” (Steve Persall).
However, it is when these peculiar characters with their snappy dialogue begin to get involved in over-the-top events that Moonrise Kingdom begins to ask for too much suspension of belief from its audience. Children pursuing each other throughout the forrest with all the intensity of Lord of the Flies in the midst of wild lightening strikes and flash floods starts to feel a bit too silly. Anderson seems somewhat unsure what tone to strike.
This ambiguity is most apparent in a scene halfway through the film in which these two 12 year old kids take their love to a physical level, making out and groping each other in their underwear. I suspect the tonal confusion in this particular scene was intentional; their young love is sweet, but their prepubescent intimacy is disturbing. It’s certainly an attention-grabbing juxtaposition and Anderson clearly wanted to make audiences uncomfortable. He succeeds, but in doing so takes us out of the film, creating a disconnect between viewers and the film.
Overall, Moonrise Kingdom stands out as a unique film for good reasons and bad. The good: an interesting story with engaging character arcs and actor performances (and according to other critics is an improvement from Anderson’s other films). The bad: stylistic choices which are more distracting than artistic.
The Final Word: Wait to rent it.
Moonrise Kingdom was the very first film for both of the film’s child actors, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. Their inexperience shows through and they obviously struggle with the decidedly more adult dialogue provided by Anderson. Hayward is clearly the superior presence on screen, saying as much with her piercing glares as she does in speech, while Gilman never quite develops a truly strong on-screen presence.
Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), a frequently Anderson collaborator, also has the unique talent of performing through his eyes, speaking volumes with a single look, and shows off this skill in Moonrise Kingdom. As the father of the escaping girl, Murray is joined by Frances McDormand (Fargo) as the mother, who happens to be having an affair with the town’s sheriff (Bruce Willis, The Sixth Sense).
McDormand and Willis deliver engaging performances as well, both emitting a subtle sadness at the seemingly inescapable roles their lives have led them to. Willis is particularly good here, surpassing the worth of some his most recent few roles combined. Lastly there’s Edward Norton (Fight Club) as a sweet, but bumbling scout master. It is a funny role, but also an important one, as I felt it was Norton more than any other cast member who set the tone for the entire film.
The characters these actors create are idiosyncratic from most other movie characters. Yet despite their unique oddities, they feel as though they could fit somewhere in the real world as some of those dreamers who keep to themselves, but can’t help but give off the sense that deep inside they ponder, explore, and discover the secrets of humanity. They’re weird, but warm-hearted; socially clumsy, but intuitive about true human motivations.
The dialogue is also witty. Conversations and monologues are delivered as series of short sentences, a typical style of such indie films, which makes Moonrise Kingdom a subtle comedy in addition to a drama. “The plot isn't as fetching as the presentation, starting with the tersely whimsical dialogue. There aren't punch lines for big laughs, but rather a seamless series of non sequiturs for smiles” (Steve Persall).
However, it is when these peculiar characters with their snappy dialogue begin to get involved in over-the-top events that Moonrise Kingdom begins to ask for too much suspension of belief from its audience. Children pursuing each other throughout the forrest with all the intensity of Lord of the Flies in the midst of wild lightening strikes and flash floods starts to feel a bit too silly. Anderson seems somewhat unsure what tone to strike.
This ambiguity is most apparent in a scene halfway through the film in which these two 12 year old kids take their love to a physical level, making out and groping each other in their underwear. I suspect the tonal confusion in this particular scene was intentional; their young love is sweet, but their prepubescent intimacy is disturbing. It’s certainly an attention-grabbing juxtaposition and Anderson clearly wanted to make audiences uncomfortable. He succeeds, but in doing so takes us out of the film, creating a disconnect between viewers and the film.
Overall, Moonrise Kingdom stands out as a unique film for good reasons and bad. The good: an interesting story with engaging character arcs and actor performances (and according to other critics is an improvement from Anderson’s other films). The bad: stylistic choices which are more distracting than artistic.
The Final Word: Wait to rent it.
Hit the nail squarely on the head, I would say. And you thought you weren't qualified to review it! Also, I found an interesting review commenting on the centrality of the theme of community that you may or may not have read by now.
ReplyDeleteI haven't, you should sent it to me!
ReplyDelete