Moonrise Kingdom: 2012

Director: Wes Anderson
Screenplay: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Released: June 29, 2012

I'm happy to announce my return to film critiquing due to a recent opportunity at school. I haven't reviewed any movies for quite some time, so please bear with me while I work out some kinks.

The classic coming of age story has been done over and over. Film gurus, from Rob Reiner to Peter Weir, have taken on the challenge to illustrate the perfect coming of age story. Many people will argue that they have succeeded in their attempts.

"Moonrise Kingdom" tells the story of 12 year old Sam Shakusky, an unhappy Khaki Scout who escapes the wrath of his troop with his newfound love Suzy Bishop. Together, Sam and Suzy evade the factions of the town that have begun to search for them. At first, the film is a very plain and realistic depiction of life but as the film progresses, it gains a certain whimsical feeling.

Upon watching this movie for the first time, it is easy to not become emotionally attached to the characters as you would for another movie. Many people would stop right there and say "Well I'm not going to waste my time watching a movie whose characters I can't relate to." Is that what a good movie really requires though? "Moonrise Kingdom" is its own character that you become attached to. The film itself almost has its own personality. This is what sets "Moonrise Kingdom" apart from most films. This is mainly due to the genius of Wes Anderson's visual technique. Anderson's use of completely symmetric, wide-angle shots and one point perspective has given the film an outstanding aesthetic value.  It seems that each and every scene was meticulously sorted out. Many viewers can relate to the obsessive compulsive tendencies of Anderson.

Many of Anderson's visual styles have been derived from such film giants as Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick is undoubtedly the king of one point perspective, just watch any of his films. From "A Clockwork Orange" to "Full Metal Jacket", they all contain wide angle shots of highly symmetrical places. Anderson has been highly successful in his adoption of these techniques, which make "Moonrise Kingdom" that much better.

With a renowned cast of actors (Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, etc.) "Moonrise Kingdom" has exceeded my expectations. I look forward to future (and previous) Wes Anderson films.

8.8/10

Watch the trailer!