Moonrise Kingdom

Movie, 2012, PG-13

Premise - Two twelve-year-old children run away to be together. The boy, Sam, is an orphan with a foster family who refuses to take him back. He runs away from Camp Ivanhoe, leaving behind his Scout Master and all his fellow Khaki Scouts. The girl, Suzy, comes from a demanding family with lawyer parents and several, well-behaved younger brothers. Both wildly unpopular and troublesome, the two fall into what they believe to be love.


Review - This film has been on my to-do list for a number of years, but I finally got around to it after seeing and enjoying Isle of Dogs, a recent film by the same director (Wes Anderson). I spoke in my last entry about appreciating Anderson's style aesthetically, but appreciating it even more if it has thematic relevance. In Moonrise Kingdom, his clean-cut, symmetrical style plays into the theme of simple-mindedness. With children, the world is more black and white. People who are in love should be together, why complicate things? Not to mention, it seems to parody some of the simple-minded adults who are either incompetent or just plain ignorant.

I loved the dry, dark humor of this film. I also loved the sweet kids. Despite Suzy and Sam's bad behavior, all kids seem to strike a stunning innocence with me. Suzy was a fantastic character, as a troubled pre-teen just starting to come into her pubescent body and experimenting with makeup. Sam was slightly more annoying, but you have to forgive him because he has no family or friends. The attraction between the two characters is just so... simple. I've already used that word, but hey, it's the simplest way of putting it. (84/100).

Quote - "I can't argue against anything you're saying. But then again, I don't have to, 'cause you're 12 years old. Look, let's face it, you're probably a much more intelligent person than I am. In fact, I guarantee it. But even smart kids stick they're finger in electrical sockets sometimes. It takes time to figure things out. It's been proven by history. All mankind makes mistakes. It's our job to try to protect you from making the dangerous ones, if we can."

Also,  "Which injuries are you apologizing for, specifically?"

"Specifically? Whichever ones still hurt."


What to watch for - I said this for the last Wes Anderson movie I just reviewed, but I had no idea Alexandre Desplat was his go-to composer. He's my favorite. And the music in this was absolutely superb.

If you liked this movie, I'd recommend Little Miss Sunshine!

Directed by Wes Anderson
Distributed by Focus Features