“Kingdom” of Fools
By: Kameron McBride
Whimsical, warm, nostalgic; all of these are words that can
accurately describe the tone of “Moonrise Kingdom,” director Wes Anderson’s
latest feature. Anyone already familiar with Anderson’s work knows that the phrase
“quirky indie film” was basically coined to describe his style; “Moonrise
Kingdom” is no different, utilizing many of Anderson’s usual narrative and
visual tricks.
The film takes us back to 1965 in an island community where a
young khaki scout named Sam (Jared Gilman) runs away with a bookish girl named
Suzy (Kara Hayward). Sam fashions himself a very knowledgeable scout, but runs
away because his troop—led by Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton)—and his foster
home each ostracize him, claiming he is “mentally unstable.”
Suzy’s parents (played by Bill Murray and Frances McDormand)
place her in a similar situation, as they are convinced Suzy is a sick child in
dire need of help. We are told they are seeking various options of how best to
treat Suzy and make her normal.
Leading the search is Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) who
always seems a little behind everyone. He has led a very lonely life to this
point and struggles to find the appropriate way to find meaning.
Say this for Wes Anderson: he can put together a killer
cast. The acting in this film is terrific, I especially enjoyed Edward Norton
as the Ward. He plays the Scout Master like an adult who never had the
opportunity to grow up, so he settles for leading a khaki troop. Obviously
Murray, Willis and McDormand are great too, with Tilda Swinton, Jason
Schwartzman and Harvey Keitel also providing solid performances in small doses.
My main impression of this film were that the kids spent the
entire story trying to convince themselves they can behave as and understand
adults, while the adults were trying to convince themselves they can still
behave as and understand children. The plot plays out similarly to any Arcade
Fire song: the kids don’t realize their gift of innocence until their bitter
adults with real–world problems. The only difference in Anderson’s film is that
Suzy and Sam capture their magical moment for a brief time, have it stripped
and then work to get it again.
Anderson’s usual composition is here: very defined frames
with long takes and deliberate pans. As usual, it fits well with this film,
adding to the offbeat, left–of–center charm that Anderson works so hard to
convey. I also think Anderson does a good job of shooting the island locale,
some of which is quite beautiful.
“Moonrise Kingdom” ultimately establishes that the world
always a bad place for introverts and outsiders like Sam and Suzy. Even though
they find themselves oppressed and misunderstood by friends and family alike,
the second they run away everyone immediately pursues them with utmost speed.
In trying to escape what they see as an oppressive world they ultimately find
acceptance.
The film also helps the characters find meaning through
their search for Suzy and Sam. As Suzy and Sam go out and search for what it
means to be adults and be alive, they ultimately discover meaning not just for
themselves but for everyone. In some ways it’s like the prison inmates learning
from Paul Newman in “Cool Hand Luke,” or the asylum victims learning from Jack
Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” this film is just not as
cynical. Even in entirely hopeless situations where it seems you are stuck in
an impossible rut, there is the smallest amount of hope to keep you going.
In other words, “Moonrise Kingdom” is an exceptionally
enjoyable film and represents Anderson at his best. The “Indie Quirk™” is
present, but isn’t as distracting as it has been in past films. This is the
perfect movie to watch on a hot summer day where everything seems hopeful and
the world is boundless, just maybe leave a note before deciding to run away
from home.
“Moonrise Kingdom” receives an 8/10.
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