Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson ’s come - of - age gemMoonrise Kingdomis celebrating its 10th anniversary this class . As presently as it hit theaters , Moonrise Kingdomwas universally praise as one of Anderson ’s quirkiest , funniest , and most emotionally engage movies . This nostalgic fairy tale erotic love history is also one of Anderson ’s most timeless work .
A decade after its initial freeing , Moonrise Kingdomstill holds up . Thanks to its kooky visuals , its poignant themes , the cast ’s incredible performances , and a nice , lean , breezy 94 - minute runtime , Moonrise Kingdomis an unendingly rewatchable treasure .
Wes Anderson’s Signature Visual Style
As with all of his movies , Wes Anderson put an unmistakable authorial stamp onMoonrise Kingdom . With carefully composed shot and meticulous in - photographic camera editing , Moonrise Kingdomexemplifies the changes that Anderson made to his live - action filmmaking after crossing over into bar - motion invigoration forFantastic Mr. Fox .
From proportionate composition to quirky costume design , Moonrise Kingdomexhibits all the hallmarks ofAnderson ’s entirely alone visual dash – brought to lifespan by his go - to cinematographer Robert Yeoman .
Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward’s On-Screen Chemistry
Anderson ’s young leads , Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward , manage to bestow a relatable , realistic acting way toMoonrise Kingdom , despite their characters ’ cartoonish Andersonian eccentricities . Gilman and Hayward parcel convincing chemistry as a pair of preteen lovebirds .
Sam and Suzy finger like they ’re the only two mass who get each other in this “ us versus the humankind ” sexual love story . The player fetch an authentic awkwardness that grounds the song and dance romance in a conversant reality .
The Warm, Nostalgic Tone
With its celebration of romance and its “ love conquers all ” content , Moonrise Kingdomis one of the warmest , sappiest moving picture in Anderson ’s filmography . cherubic , drippy movies like this hold up to countless rewatches .
With smart , concentrated colors and idealize storytelling , Moonrise Kingdomfeels like a puerility retentivity . It takes seat in 1965 to reflect a timeless Norman Rockwell - esque Americana .
Alexandre Desplat’s Classical Score
In one of his many collaborations with Anderson , Alexandre Desplat created the score forMoonrise Kingdom . The classical auditory sensation of Desplat ’s score pair utterly with the kooky characters and their impulsive narration .
Desplat ’s euphony for the film is totally original , but it was hard inspired by the body of work of English composer Benjamin Britten , and it mix in in snippets of Mozart , Schubert , and Hank Williams .
Poignant Themes
Anderson is often charge of privilege style over kernel , but critics identified a numeral of poignant themes inMoonrise Kingdomthat are still relevant today . The main theme , of course , is immature love . But the pic also deals with juvenile genial wellness .
Sam and Suzy both suffer from genial health problems . They ’re both filled with furore and anxiousness and existential dread . Suzy ’s parent own a book titledCoping with the Very disruptive Child . Anderson ’s humanization of these characters highlight the pressing motive to take children ’s mental wellness struggle seriously .
The Script’s Tricky Tonal Tightrope Walk
Anderson write the book forMoonrise KingdomwithDarjeeling Limitedco - writer Roman Coppola . The duad received a much - deserved Oscar nomination ( though , sadly , not the actual accolade ) for Best Original Screenplay .
Anderson and Coppola ’s writing strikes the complete bittersweet blend of drollery and tragedy . The narration deals with some very serious takings , but the handwriting is never too far by from a droll one - line drive or an offbeat batch gag .
Scene-Stealing Supporting Performances
Gilman and Hayward are the undeniable stars ofMoonrise Kingdom , but they ’re surrounded by beloved A - lister plough giving offbeat , dryly hilarious , scene - steal supporting turns .
The ensemble ofMoonrise Kingdomis rounded out by wonderfully deadpan performances by Bruce Willis as Captain Sharp , Edward Norton as Scout Master Randy Ward , Bill Murray and Frances McDormand as Mr. and Mrs. Bishop , Tilda Swinton as Social Services , and Jason Schwartzman as Cousin Ben .
The Lean Runtime
At 94 minute , Moonrise Kingdomhas a refreshfully skimpy runtime . Bloated three - hour movies hold up to fewer rewatches , because the unnecessary prospect and subplots start to stand out . film in the 90 - hour range run to justify more revisits .
Not a second is wasted inMoonrise Kingdom . The character bow are always locomote forrader , the stake are always being raise , and the exposition is delivered compactly . Moonrise Kingdomisone of Anderson ’s most rewatchable motion picture .
The Sight Gags
ocular witticism is timeless . hearing still savor silent comedy from 100 years ago because the witticism of human physicality has carried across every subsequent generation .
The sight jest inMoonrise Kingdom – fromBill Murray pull a collapsible shelter out of the groundto Sam taking a spotter troop on a wild goose following around a field – are still just as hilarious and inventive as when the pic first get in dramaturgy .
Sam And Suzy’s Happy Ending
A caboodle of Wes Anderson movies terminate in catastrophe , which spite their rewatchability because viewers do n’t want to be depressed when the closing credit roll . Moonrise Kingdomteases a tragical ending , with a lightning bolt destroying a belltower containing three major characters , but Captain Sharp manage to save Sam and Suzy at the last minute .
After everything they ’ve been through , Sam and Suzy clear a much - deserved glad ending . sea captain Sharp take in Sam , Suzy return home , and they get the one thing they wanted all along : to be together .
NEXT : How Moonrise Kingdom Reinvents Romance Tropes ( & Why It ’s Still A Great Love Story )
