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This movie, as the rest of Anderson's work, is unmistakably his. The unique style he has built over the years, together with cinematographer Robert Yeoman is absolutely visible, with the square framing, the prevalence of static and sideways tracking shots, and of course the heavy use of symmetry and the defining colors. Colors which are perhaps a bit more dull than the extremely vibrant colors in other of his works, like the more recent and, too, brilliant, The Grand Budapest Hotel. [...]
Moonrise Kingdom isn't your usual love story, nor child movie, rather, it is a profound depiction of two extremely troubled, bordering on tragic, characters, who find in each other the only beings to whom they can relate, and in whom to find any understanding, that is, complete understanding.
An interesting aspect of the movie, is how seriously the characters take things, despite how surreal or absurd they are. Also, the approach taken to the character construction is quite unique, in that the main characters Sam and Suzy, and the other Khaki Scouts, are represented in a rather serious manner, that diverges from what you would think of someone that age. They have a quite mature, perhaps even old, portrayal, both in their dialog, and their actions, as for instance, Sam smoking a pipe. The adult characters, on the other hand, are portrayed rather more playfully.
The film opens with the reproduction of a vinyl record of a narrated version of The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten, which is a set-up to the strong relation the film's music has with the story, and how they progress together, accompanying the main characters' journey, to finally close with the fugue of the same piece, wrapping it up alongside the story.
Moonrise Kingdom has perhaps the strongest connection to its score, of all of Anderson's films. Having a especially strong relation with the work of Britten, with the music alluding to several story points, and considering the shared themes and objectives between Britten's work, and Anderson's movie.
Moreover, there are other interesting elements in the movie, like Suzy's (fictional) books, from which she reeds a few passages throughout the film, all strongly relating to their adventure. The books' connection to the story goes to the point of Anderson stating that the movie should, in fact, be one of her books.
Moving on to the casting, we see stellar performances from Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as Sam and Suzy, as they really capture the odd and intriguing nature of their characters. We do of course have the obligatory and delightful presence of Bill Murray as in any Wes Anderson movie, and next to him Frances McDormand as Mr. and Mrs. Bishop. But we also get some more unusual casting choices, such as Edward Norton as Scout Master Ward, and Bruce Willis as the appropriately named Captain Sharp, as they have both built their careers around very different genres than the Anderson movies, but don't seem the least bit off their game, giving quirky and interesting performances. Further, we have appearances from the now recurring Anderson actor Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton fondly known as "Social Services", Bob Balaban who occasionally appears with some geographical or meteorological remarks, and an amusing and captivating appearance from Harvey Keitel.
What did you think of this quirky movie? What do you think of Wes Anderson's style? Share your thoughts in the comments bellow!
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