Wes Anderson brings us another odd and quirky comedy masterpiece.

Rating: 9/10 (2 July 2012)

'MOONRISE KINGDOM': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
Wes Anderson brings us another odd and quirky comedy masterpiece, this one is sort of a 'Romeo & Juliet' style love story. It tells the tale of two twelve-year-old outcasts in love who run away from their New England town and cause a search party. Anderson directed the film as well as co-wrote it with Roman Coppola (who also wrote 'THE DARJEELING LIMITED' with him). It stars two impressive young newcomers as well as vets Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Harvey Keitel. The movie has all of Anderson's usual touches and flavor and I thought this was actually one of his better works.
The film is set on a New England island in 1965 and revolves around two young lovers named Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward). Both are misfits: Sam is an orphan who was the least popular member of his scout camp and Suzy despises her dysfunctional family. The two met at a church play the previous summer and had remained pen pals for an entire year before deciding to run away together the following summer. They run in to the forest in search of a special cove where they plan to spend the rest of their days together. Suzy's parents (Murray and McDormand), along with the Scout Ward (Norton) and local police Captain (Willis), begin a search party for them.
The movie is all about the innocence of youth and what despair it sometimes causes them to look forward to the adult lives their parents and other influences represent for them (often kids have their acts together much better than adults do, as age often corrupts). It's also about love and adoration as well as being a social outcast, especially at a young age. Anderson delivers these messages beautifully (with his quirky touch) and the music by Alexandre Desplat is breathtakingly fitting. Often I find Anderson's work just a little too abstract for me to fully relate to but other than that his pictures are nearly perfect. I see this film the same way, although I'd place it a little higher than his previous few efforts. Still it doesn't live up to 'BOTTLE ROCKET' or 'ROYAL TENENBAUMS', which are my favorites of his.
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