An awkward sophistication, with small(er) parts played by great(er) actors

Rating: 8/10 (30 September 2012)

I have seen most of Wes Anderson's movies and I find them good at least, if not more. The plots themselves are usually not so holistic, but the characters and developments are pleasantly strange and make you giggle. Regarding this, the Coen brothers, Tarantino and Anderson seem to share similar values, but the latter is least violent.
The characters and their performers are just great, including all known versatile Hollywood names beginning with Harvey Keitel and finishing with Jason Schwartzman... And female characters are stronger than male ones. The children are also well selected, including the main stars Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman, whose appearance and depiction of adult issues is natural, without moralizing or political correctness too often visible in Western movies involving minors.
Through splendid roles and performances, Anderson laughs at lawyer language, foster care, local police, camp routines etc, but the stereotypes and clichés are funny and edifying, not annoying. Recommended to those fond of head-over-heels world and different approaches, but is a movie for like-minded, rather than a family movie.