Moonrise Kingdom is a typical Wes Anderson film.. It's quirky, has a fantastic plot set in an equally fantastic place and the execution is mad. Let me warn you, it may not be palatable to many, because sometimes the idyllic pace, the unsaid meanings, the directionless plot needs patience. Either you like it a lot or you think its a waste of time.
Luckily I am amongst the one's who liked it a lot. There are very few films in India that are made on children, about their problems, about their struggles while growing up. And Moonrise Kingdom addresses this in a quiet extraordinary way. It's set on an island and is about a girl and a boy who are ostracized by others, but find love in each other. They run away, and everybody starts looking for them. And the film is about this weird chase.
Now, its difficult to explain why I like it. It's like watching the kaleidoscope, the patterns are fantastic, you don't know what they mean, but you find them attractive. This film has great wit, amazing cinematography and a brilliant music score. It's almost like a music video. There is a rhythm to the way Wes directs. His frames are like paintings - almost too perfect. The shot divisions, the movement of his characters are measured and precise. He is like the conductor of a symphony. The dialogues spew wit and the music just elevates every frame.
And well the cast does a superlative job indeed. Headed by the surprisingly sweet Bruce Willis, quirk is delivered with aplomb by Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand and others. The kids are awesome too.. All of them. The entire cast surrenders completely to the whimsical world Wes creates and sucks you in it. My fav. bits are by Bob Balaban - Check out his dead pan reports - they are hilarious!
I would say WATCH IT , because its beautiful to look at and it's so weird, that you might just like it! It's deadpan, weird humour at its best. You are sure to leave the theater with a smile - coz it's lyrical, whimsical, comical!
Rating : 7 / 10
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