Arguably, Wes Anderson's greatest yet

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2012)

MOONRISE KINGDOM, directed by Wes Anderson, is a quirky masterpiece; full of meticulous attention to detail, as well as stylish cinematography. Many of the auteur's signature filming techniques are on display here: optical zooms, deadpan humor; vivid and bright colors, long and smooth panning. But one thing that makes it better than, or equal to, other phenomenal movies of his like RUSHMORE or THE DARJEELING LIMITED is the character development of it all (maybe even mostly the characters themselves, including their costume design). Multiple people that differ greatly become likable through harsh, yet funny dialog ("That's a loaded question"), as well as their reactions to the sticky situations that surround them.
This clever tool, also used in FANTASTIC MR. FOX, especially comes in handy for a film like this, because MOONRISE KINGDOM contains many different fragments making up a single plot: a storm striking, the romance of two people 12 years old, the town's frantic efforts to find them, etc. It's a busy movie, but also one of the best and most enjoyable of the year because of the way everything is handled; each character serves a purpose.
Lines are delivered by great actors/actresses like Tilda Swinton (giving a great performance as Social Services) and the occasionally funny Bruce Willis. Bob Balaban is also there (dressed as a garden gnome) to occasionally give the viewers subtle narration on the history of the idyllic New Penzance (a New England island). Of course, there's a Jason Schwartzman role, as usual in Anderson films. At times, one might think that all of the famous actors/actresses are an overload and an attempt to give the film more buzz. But this is not the case; each actor/actress precisely fits the role of their character.
With a gorgeous set, opulent-quality cinematography, nonlinear characters, and brilliant writing, MOONRISE KINGDOM is arguably Wes Anderson's greatest yet. It may not seem to be for those accusing the auteur of style over substance, but this one's got both, so there shouldn't be that many worries over that either.