Movie Review: Moonrise Kingdom

This weekend I had the enjoyment of going to see a film by Wes Anderson called Moonrise Kingdom.  The film was based in the 1960’s with characters played by some major Hollywood hitters such as Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, and Tilda Swinton.  Wes Anderson is known for his quirky and charming style of directing, and in Moonrise Kingdom, quirk and charm were ever present.  I must say, the kids who were the main characters did an outstanding job of performing what I imagine to be Anderson’s vision for the film.

Have you ever felt misunderstood or misguided?  Of course you have.  Whether in childhood or adulthood, being misunderstood seems to be a natural occurrence.  It seemed like every character in the film at some point had feelings, however subtle, of feeling misguided and definitely misunderstood.  I connected with the young girl, Suzy, played by Kara Hayward and her drive to be independent from her self-involved family.  While some may describe Suzy as troubled, I would describe her as a normal pre-teen desperately trying to escape her detached family into the peculiar arms of her young love.  Their bold attempt to be together and escape the lives they didn’t agree with was admirable.  Most often we allow ourselves to stay in a situation we know isn’t the best for us.  The kids in this movie were clearly more self-aware than the adults.  Obviously we don’t want young children running away, however, since this was a movie it seemed more courageous than dangerous.  The story can lead one to pause and think about what we continue to tolerate in life merely out of routine or expectations.

What I enjoyed most about Moonrise Kingdom apart from fantastic performances by the entire cast, was how the story was told through Wes Anderson’s film style.  Most likely you’ve seen or heard of his other films such as Fantastic Mr. Fox, which is, well, fantastic!  The films have a recognizable feel to them and quite often have the same charm and quirk.  It’s always nice to see a movie that’s different from the mainstream movie scene and gives you something to talk about with your friends by watching something unique and relatable.  Even if you’re not into eccentricities in your every day life, you just might appreciate Moonrise Kingdom.