FIRST LOVE AT SUMMER'S END: a review of "Moonrise Kingdom"

“MOONRISE KINGDOM”

Written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

Directed by Wes Anderson

*** ½ (three and a half stars)

“You don’t know how much I love you

But I love you like the sun

I like to put my arms around you

And we could run, run, run, runaway…”

-Jefferson Starship “Runaway”

Not that long ago, I read a film critic’s detailing of Writer/Director Wes Anderson’s oeuvre, which he described as “dollhouse movies.” While I have no real idea if that description was meant with any sense of derision or not, I would not be surprised if it were.

While Wes Anderson and his work—which ranges from “Rushmore” (1998), “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001), “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou” (2004), “The Darjeeling Limited” (2007) and the animated “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009)-- has been highly celebrated, over recent years, I have detected a sense of fatigue with Anderson’s specialized artistic vision. In some respects, I can understand the description of his films as “dollhouse movies” as Wes Anderson has created a collective of works that are meticulously and artfully designed to the letter, from the most seemingly insignificant objects to even the combined performances from his trusty band of actors. Never in any of his films, is one item ever out of place, Yet, for me and my sensibilities, Wes Anderson’s movies are not hermetically sealed by any means. As I have stated on this site many times, the worlds contained in the films of Wes Anderson may be strikingly artificial but they are emotionally true as they all have huge, open and thunderously beating hearts that match the inner lives and desires of his characters. Wes Anderson’s movies just may be “dollhouse movies,” but for me, these dollhouses are ones where Wes Anderson not only gleefully designed the landscape, inner workings and boundaries but he has also joyfully invited us all to join him in play.

“Moonrise Kingdom,” Anderson’s latest escapade, is a particularly lovely experience as it delves deeply into the pangs of first love at the end of a long ago summer. For fans of Wes Anderson, his new film possesses all of his trademark touches and I am certain that you will enjoy this film as much as any of his past efforts. For Anderson novices, I highly recommend that you give this film a try as you would be witness to a filmmaker working at full command of his cinematic storytelling powers and craft. And for all of you, “Moonrise Kingdom” is a vivid reminder that in today’s homogenized world of cinema, there is nobody, absolutely nobody who makes films that look, sound or feel like Wes Anderson’s movies. They are universes unto themselves.

   

Set in late summer 1965, on the island of New Penzance, just off the coast of New England, we meet orphaned and friendless Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman), a 12-year-old attending a “Khaki Scout” summer camp lead by Scout Master Randy Ward (Edward Norton). Also on the island lives the equally troubled and friendless 12-year-old Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), who resides with her distracted and dysfunctional attorney parents Walt and Laura (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) and three younger brothers.

During the previous summer, Sam and Suzy met while backstage at a church performance of Benjamin Britten’s composition “Noye’s Fludde” and subsequently became pen pals. The twosome, now having fallen in love, have decided to run away together, an act which initiates a frantic search party of scout troupe members and parents and led by Police Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis).

As with all of Wes Anderson’s films, “Moonrise Kingdom” almost functions as sort of a fable or storybook enchantment mostly due to Anderson’s visual aesthetic and cinematic storytelling style. “Moonrise Kingdom” is a dream world wonderland version of the real world. His 1965 seems to be one of fantasy made up entirely of the iconography of the time period and reconfigured in ways that never feel to be entirely realistic but somehow it also never feels like some 1965 thrift store version of reality either. As off kilter as it is, everything somehow feels to be just right as each image and frame of the film could almost exist as a still photograph or a snapshot memory from someone looking back upon a seemingly idyllic summer.

Anderson is aided tremendously through the expert cinematography of Robert Yeoman as well as his incredible set design team. All of them work wonders in ensuring that everything that exists in the world of “Moonrise Kingdom,” from the sets and costumes and locations all the way to Sam’s artwork to even the book covers and content of the novels Suzy religiously reads, convincingly creates an entire world unlike anything else you can currently see in modern cinema. I especially loved the occasional usage of Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra,” a piece of music Suzy’s younger brothers listen to on an archaic record player. The sonic pulling apart and merging together of the instruments that make up an orchestra seemed to also function as an equivalent of Anderson’s films as a whole, as each individual element fits with other elements like a puzzle, creating a unique and completely individualistic accomplishment. By pulling it all apart only to bring it together again, we are all invited to become part of the process which ultimately adds to the overall enjoyment of “Moonrise Kingdom.”

Crucial elements in all of Wes Anderson’s films are the performances and “Moonrise Kingdom” is no exception. Everyone has arrived ready to work, play and bring to life these oddball, very left of center, almost cut out characters and again, like a puzzle, every single performance works in conjunction with each other. Every actor is on the same plate, working together never threatening to upstage anyone else at the expense of the entire experience. Bruce Willis, in particular, was very impressive to me as he has been an actor whom I have felt has grown tiresomely lazy in recent years. Thankfully and so enjoyably, Willis has arrived to the Wes Anderson aesthetic ready to work and completely committed. And I have to say that I also very much enjoyed the sly pokes he and Anderson just may be taking with his movie action hero status.

Most importantly, “Moonrise Kingdom” hinges upon our pre-teen love struck leads and in their debut performances, both Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward are beguiling. As Sam Shakusky, Gilman has captured a jewel of a role as this boy seemed to be another representation of Anderson’s signature character, first represented by Max Fisher from “Rushmore” and also as an older man in “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.” Sam is intrepid, headstrong, clever, endlessly creative and certainly houses a mean streak that explodes during times of extreme frustration or whenever he feels cornered and his worldview is threatened. And through it all, he is truly a dreamer, a heart-on-sleeve romantic whose head is perpetually in the clouds and is nearly always led by his emotions. If he had a sense of better judgment, it would serve him well but remember, he is 12 years old and simply does not know better quite yet. He just is not mature enough.

Kara Hayward was especially impressive as Suzy Bishop as she not only represents that highly idealized version of first love but the slightly harder reality that she is more grounded and therefore, she almost seems to be too much young woman for our hero. And like Sam, she also carries quite a nasty, violent temper. While she is the same age as Sam, she appears older as she nurses a deep penchant for the world outside of her home at the appropriately named “Summer’s End.” Suzy carries a set of binoculars at all times. She is a voracious reader. And she harbors a love for all things French as evidenced by her favorite record, Francoise Hardy’s “Le Temps De L’Amour,” as well as her blue eye shadow which makes her look like a pre-teen Brigitte Bardot, despite her knee high socks and “Sunday school shoes.”

Certainly Suzy’s smoky visage and penetrating far away stare is one that would disarm Sam or any young boy for that matter. But, as the film progresses, we can see that Sam and Suzy exist on equal footing. Where Sam initially takes the lead by encouraging Suzy to run away with him in the firs place, he also serves as an expert wilderness guide due to his scouting experience. We see Suzy taking the more emotional lead in later sections. One sequence I particularly enjoyed was one where she reads aloud to Sam and his scout mates by campfire, which evoked nothing less than author J.M. Barrie’s Never Never Land with Wendy caring for Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. The love story of Sam Shakusky and Suzy Bishop is contained within their mutual restless spirits and hungry desires to make their own world for themselves and away for any outside influences, emotions that truly capture the nature of the age and perhaps even Wes Anderson’s artistic dreams as well. It is a couple to root for and more often than not, I was wishing for them to maintain their dream world together forever, although it could never last in the ways that they wish the most.

And here is where “Moonrise Kingdom” stretches far beyond any sense of artifice and exquisitely into painful realities. There is a resounding sense of melancholy that permeates all of Wes Anderson’s films and that feeling is in full bittersweet effect in “Moonrise Kingdom.” Anderson presents us with a group of sad, disappointed people who are all forced to confront their individual states of loneliness and sorrow once Sam and Suzy recklessly take off, fully determined to make their future, whatever that future may be. Captain Sharp is wounded by an unrequited love, while Walt and Laura Bishop grow increasingly estranged and Scout Master Randy ward, against all of his efforts, attempts to hold feelings of failure at bay. With Sam and Suzy’s disappearance, all of the adult characters are given opportunities to spring back to life from whatever states of dormancy they have existed in for however long. Quite possibly, they just may be able to exhibit the same sense of brazen and bold moves that the “lost” children have made for themselves.

And then, there is the film’s final image, of which I would never think to reveal here, that “Moonrise Kingdom” really hit home for me. Above all else, the image took me back to the Middle school days and actual places of my past when I was experiencing for the first time exactly what Sam and Suzy are experiencing. I will never, ever forget that patch of grass and dirt underneath the windows of the Lower school in the courtyard separating the Lower, Middle and High schools. There were moments that became supremely formative in regards to the nature of relationships and falling in love that were pivotal, for better or worse. I would gather, that if you allow the magic of “Moonrise Kingdom” to work its spells upon you, you will also find yourselves traveling back to your days of first loves and painful hurts. The film’s final shot certainly provided a lump in the throat as it perfectly encapsulated a time and place that I would think exists inside all of us.

If I were to have even one quibble with the film, it is that there is just not nearly enough Bill Murray, for everything is made better with Bill Murray. Aside from that, “Moonrise Kingdom” is another success for Wes Anderson, a filmmaker who I firmly believe shuodl be championed a bit more than he already is as he represents true artistry, entertainment and vision when all movie goers need to be witness to such a personal touch the most.

“Moonrise Kingdom” may seem to be nothing more than a charming, touching romp through a nostalgic dream world. But, trust me, it is so much more. And besides, what a beautiful dream world it is.