So I think we can all agree that Wes Anderson is going 7-0. Moonrise Kingdom his latest film, sweeps over you like a balmy summer breeze and charms you into submission. It's sincere, funny and poetically melancholic- everything you'd expect from the stylistic director.
The story takes place on an island in New England in the 1960s, complete with the idyllic scout camps that most east coasters are well familiar with. The setting instantly places you back in time to your own summer experiences; adventures were exceedingly important, every romance is heartbreaking and exulting and the rules placed on you were tyranny. The setting alone establishes nostalgia which is then perfectly carried by the impeccable cast.
As far as the cast goes, everyone you expect to be amazing (Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Ed Norton, etc) is. But the true essence of the film, what carries it to fruition, is found in the newcomers Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman.
Hayward and Gilman play Suzy and Sam (respectively), two troubled children/pre-teens who fall in love over letters and run away together, causing an uproar on the village. They're both volatile, emotionally unstable and riddled with conviction. Their pain is typical of every thirteen year old yet nothing seems overwrought or ridiculous. In fact, the most ridiculous characters are the grown ups who lack the passion and romance of the children.
What could be uncomfortable scenes of sexual awakening between Sam and Suzy is simple and earnest- like every first summer romance. Clearly Wes Anderson knew how to deftly direct these two youngsters, knowing when to just let the scene organically unfold in his typical humorous yet serious way. This is just the perfect movie to kick off your hazy summer.
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