Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Moonrise Kingdom is a comedy adventure film directed and written by Wes Anderson, featuring an astonishing ensemble cast including the likes of Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton. Despite this plethora of A-list screen stars, the real triumph of the film arises from the bond between two smitten twelve year olds (Sam and Suzy) who, during the summer of 1965, decide to run away and live in the wilderness.

The heart of Moonrise Kingdom is the unlikely friendship between Sam and Suzy. Their relationship is not only the driving force of the narrative, but also the driving force for Anderson to install his love for film into audiences. Every sequence is constructed so strikingly, whether it be in terms of mise-en-scene, musical score or cinematography, the attention to detail is truly remarkable – giving the impression of a director who makes his own artistic decisions and is genuinely interested in making a film because of his love for the medium . However; as technically marvellous as the film is, it’s would be a gross injustice to simply praise the mechanics of the film.

The film is littered with standout performances, most notably from the two debutant leads – Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, who

bat well above their weight and never for one frame seem out of place alongside Norton, Murray and company. Furthermore, the film contains an almost spontaneous energy, as Anderson consistently mixes outright visual gags with unexpected moments of sentimentality and moments of eccentric oddities. However the film never loses its moral compass, and as it reaches its conclusion, the love and warmth of many of the characters begins to transcend the screen and latches itself onto the viewer - leaving audiences feeling very much satisfied.

Moonrise Kingdom is a love story seen a million times before: two lovers trying to maintain a relationship with the weight of the world seemingly attempting to prevent them. Perhaps then, it’s arguable that the most notable success of the film is its ability to take an over-explored narrative and make it not only technically flawless, but also emotionally engaging and memorable.