"I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about". The funniest and most upfront line of Wes Anderson's gorgeous, picturesque new film, Moonrise Kingdom, could also be a commentary on much of the director's most recent work. He won over many, including yours truly, with a handful of charming, eccentric comedies right off the bat in Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums. Yet ever since, Anderson's films have grown increasingly idioysyncratic, buried so deep in the director's head that they turned into impenetrable slogs like The Darjeeling Limited and The Life Aquatic. The emotion he was able to craft in his early work gave way to stiff, depressing cardboard characters thrust in unappealing, self indulgent stories. His films remained beautiful but soulless, like a Madame Tussaud's sculpture.
While Moonrise Kingdom still occasionally suffers from Anderson's usual tics, it's also the most effecting and funny film of his career and one of the year's great joys. Set in 1965, yet feeling like a place lost in time, the story takes place on the fictional island of New Penzance, nestled somewhere off the New England coast. The town is littered with a bevy of unhappy adults stumbling through life and effecting those of their children. Confident and stoic Sam(Jared Gilman), a 12-year old Khaki scout who is hated by the members of his troop, runs away with Suzy(Kara Hayward), the volatile daughter of a pair of unhappily married lawyers. Their disappearance sends the grown folks into a tizzy, and everybody's quirks and personal issues bubble to the surface while an ominous storm brews in the background.
The adults will all feel familiar to those who've seen Anderson's previous films. Dysfunctional and bitter, they bicker over petty flights of fancy while the kids experiment with the rawness of new love. Despite his usual assemble of top notch actors, the story bogs down and feels listless when away from the young lovers. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand play Suzy's parents, and some of their interactions have that cold, sanitized vibe of The Squid and Whale, an Anderson favorite from his buddy, Noah Baumbach. Bruce Willis is, of course, kind of the hero of the piece as basically the only cop in town, who just so happens to be having a fling with Suzy's mom. Tilda Swinton turns up as the rigid Social Services...no really, that's how she's addressed the entire time, but she's a little bit wasted here.
Edward Norton does shine as the hapless Scoutmaster Randy Ward. Even his name makes him sound like one of those curious pantywaists, a grown man still in his boy scout uniform that's a shade too small, knee high socks and colorful sash around his neck. In many ways he's as much a child as the two runaways, and watching him look completely out of his element in a room full of adults make for some of Anderson's most subtle comic jabs.
Suzy and Sam's journey takes them to all corners of the island, presented with a lovely vintage touch. Anderson's decision to shoot the film in 16mm only enhances the timeless, storybook quality. They've of course packed all the essentials: books, cat food, a pair of scissors(which come to violent good use), and a boundless curiosity about the world and of themselves. Anderson, who co-wrote the script with Roman Coppola, wouldn't seem to be the guy for such an honest coming of age story. As great as Rushmore was, it was harsh and cynical, whereas Moonrise Kingdom is endlessly hopeful.
Like much of Anderson's previous stuff, Moonrise Kingdom won't be for everybody. Unexplainable things happen seemingly at random, the stylized look of the film will probably turn some people off. However, those who open themselves up to this unconventional adventure of young love may find that they'll never want to leave New Penzance behind.
