It's a treat when a director spices up the language of filmmaking and splices together a movie that is a visual treat, an emotional tread, a witty but thoughtful study into character psyche and most importantly, stretches the boundary of what a director can do in terms of visual flair, contextual storytelling and poetic imagery. Enter Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom", a humorous look into a fictionalized 60's setting that also manages to be a thematic study in growing up, frustration, abnormality, coping and more.
Sam, a 12-year-old orphan, falls in love with Suzy and the two run away to a secluded cove on an island, prompting the entire town to begin a search.
Wes Anderson's talent and quirk for visual storytelling sears through every frame of the movie. From the very opening scene, the audience is guested to beautiful camerawork, with unconventional wipes, dolly's, vintage-styled credits, old-timey aspect ratio that aptly depicts the setting and time frame of the era the movie is set in. Anderson also uses the language of the movie against the movie itself, letting the audience know that they are watching a movie. Whereas other films strive to suck in the audience to their reality and world, Moonrise Kingdom does the opposite, with frames giving the world a showcased feel, straightforward dialogues from the characters which sometimes can be perceived as rude, a tinted color to the visuals.
And yet, the world feels lived-in, one that existed even before the movie started and will persist to live on even after the movie ends. The movie is self-conscious about its existence, yet does just enough to let the audience feel homely. The color palette is also an interesting choice, as it tends to lean towards the brown/green/sort-of-red color choice which gives the movie an earthly yet magical enchantment. The cinematography is also apt for the sort of magical, fantastical elements the movie goes for, and Anderson's storytelling abilities help make these out-of-left-field elements a realm of believability even in this mostly-grounded world. There's a poetic drive here with the movie having a storybook color palette and one of the characters' hobby of reading storybooks. It's a great way to draw a bridge between the world and the story's self-conscious yet grounded leeway of craft.
Speaking of characters, the cast is a slew of very talented actors and actresses who are more than suited for the characters they play. And since the cast is so well-picked, I will not be saying the names of the actors. Yes, you read it right, I am not spoiling the cast of the movie. If you have already seen the movie, you know what I am talking about, but if you haven't, I implore you to go into this movie blind and let the opening credits let you leer into the names of the talented actors this movie boasts. Every character feels authentic, their motives clear, their drives palpable. The cast itself is very apt for the movie. And I was very surprised at specifically one actor who gave a performance different to what he usually does and goes out of his comfort zone and in turn gives us one of the more cathartic characters, and he absolutely nails it. I wish we got more performances like this from him. Another actor also gave it all culminating in what might be his second best performance just behind another phenomenal performance he executed back in 1999. The lead child actors are phenomenal too. This movie relied heavily on their performance and it could have been a make or break for it. And they nailed it. They perfectly depict these kids who are not comfortable in their daily lives and for exchange, abandon their normal lives and flee together to find their place in all this.
The soundtrack, composed and conducted by various artists, is also very fitting for Moonrise Kingdom. It generates the timely feeling the movie so grandously boasts. It's rich, beautiful and resonating.
In finality, Moonrise Kingdom is a movie that cleverly handles an unconventional coming-of-age story, visual mastery, mature themes and an overall vintage beauty. It is the kind of movie that will be looked at once in a while and commended upon by cinephiles, casual moviegoers and nitty-gritty critics alike.