Review of Moonrise Kingdom (2012) by Callum H — 02 Nov 2014

Whilst Moonrise Kingdom doesn't boast of the same scope and comical absurdity that The Grand Budapest Hotel possessed, the film contains heart, warmth, honesty and comedy enough to satisfy and delight any film-goer. Thanks to Wes Anderson's vibrant and energetic direction, full of tracking shots which establish with ease and delightfully comical close-ups, as well as a fantastic score by Alexandre Desplat, accenting the quirk and weirdness of the story, Moonrise Kingdom is a flawless film on a technical level.

But that isn't why anyone shows up to a Wes Anderson film; they show up because they expect the characters, scenery and humour to be outstanding, and that they all are. Headed by outstanding performances from teenage actors Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, the entire ensemble embraces the hilariously serious plethora of diverse and interesting characters, all drawing attention to their weird and wonderful quirks. Anderson fills all his characters with a warmness and reliability though, that manages to maintain a semblance of understanding with the audience, allowing them to properly see through the eyes of these characters which initially seem too overtly weird and wonderful to properly connect to.

Edited to perfection, jarringly hilarious, perfectly acted, filled with amiable thematic intentions and messages, full of interesting and diverse cinematography (this should be the film, alongside The Grand Budapest Hotel, that is shown to film school students for advice on framing and executing shots); Moonrise Kingdom explores our fascination with breaking free from the confines of our normal and abusive lives, and finding a place beyond the hills where we can be ourselves and explore our deepest desires. A truly perfect film.