Moonrise Serenade

Rating: 9/10 (27 July 2013)

At first 'Moonrise Kingdom' seems to try too hard to be eccentric and often has a very stagey quality, no doubt deliberately, which characteristics mark it unmistakably as the work of Wes Anderson. There are a couple of moments in the third act that stretch the audience's willing credulity, but it would be a heartless viewer who was not willing to forgive these flights of fancy, which highlight the film's fairy-tale quality, reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands or The Truman Show, and are consistent with the Am-Dram sensibility running through it. The film's greatest strength is a heart of pure gold, a delightful melding of the innocence and earnest enthusiasm of Arthur Ransom's 'Swallows and Amazons' with the sassy grit and knowing irreverence of Tarantino's 'True Romance'. The central relationship is delightful, his-and-hers quirks and skewed affectations of adulthood, not in the least annoying (which is an achievement), a tribute to the work put in by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward in the central roles. Edward Norton is outstanding (we expect no less) and Bruce Willis' turn is nicely understated. Tilda Swinton is also a standout, and thankfully used sparingly, otherwise her character would have overpowered the gentler souls around her. Other Anderson stalwarts are also present, including stalwart-in-chief, Bill Murray, and erstwhile leading lad Jason Schwartzman. At only 94 minutes, it's tempting to expect that the film would feel lightweight, but the arc of the story is well served by the film's compactness, and by the time it reaches the end there is nothing left unsaid. Moonrise Kingdom deserves to be considered among Wes Anderson's finest work, and there are plenty of characters here to root for. Hooray for Uncle Wes! Sandwiches and ginger beer all round!