Wes Anderson's best? No, I don't think so, but it's very enjoyable

Rating: 9/10 (19 June 2012)

A sweet little picture. It's Wes Anderson through and through, and if you are a fan, you'll like it a lot, I suspect. Set in the '60s, it concerns two pre-teens (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) who conspire to run away together on an adventure on the remote island of New Penzance. Gilman, an orphan, is pursued by his fellow Khaki Scouts and their scoutmaster (Edward Norton). Hayward's parents, whose marriage is dissolving, are played by Bill Murray and Francis MacDormand. Bruce Willis plays the policeman on the island. Gilman and Hayward are adorable, but, God help me, by far my biggest problem with the film is that they are poor actors. Their love story is really touching, and it feels like it should be one for the ages, but the performances kept pushing me away. I just could not feel much for these kids, since they never seemed like real human beings, but rather like puppets controlled by Anderson above. The other Khaki Scouts, as well as Hayward's brothers, don't fare much better. The adult actors (also including, in minor roles, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Jason Schwartzman and Bob Balaban) are much better. Don't get me wrong, I quite enjoyed this film. Anderson's directorial flourishes are well known by now, but are just as impressive as ever (if you like his stuff, obviously). The cinematography and production design are wonderful. And, as always, Anderson's choice of music, most notably these strange music education recordings composed by Benjamin Britten, is impeccable. I was just ever so slightly disappointed. I suspect if you like the two lead performances, you may find this one of Anderson's very best.