Moonrise Kingdom

Sam and Suzy present with the reputation of a a masterpiece, but they convince me of what I suspected a long time ago: I am much happier when Wes Anderson talks about family relationships than when he relies entirely on nostalgia in coming-of-age stories. That's why I continue to enjoy The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, or the underestimated The Darjeeling Limited; and yet there are a few things that bother me about Moonrise Kingdom, which moodily joins forces with Rushmore. All the usual shyness and elusiveness suddenly seem too deliberate for me, and the dialogues are always slightly overdone, to make Wes's typical moods easier to recognize. Bruce Willis, the meticulous Edward Norton, and the perpetually serious Kara Hayward work perfectly, but even they fail to convince me to go on this road trip again. (16/10/2012)

I was pretty lukewarm on Wes Anderson's Rushmore, but I'll gladly stand behind Moonrise Kingdom for what would be a quality film from a very oddball director. The whole thing felt so terribly childlike and playful at times that it even reminded me a bit of Michel Gondry's work (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep). A perfect cast of actors portraying a panopticon of bizarre yet incredibly likeable characters. Besides that, what struck me about the film was the rather unusual cinematography, more precisely its movements, and the great attention to various details about the characters, which were constantly repeated and seemed funny (left-handed scissors, Sunday school shoes, "Social Service"). In short, a film that is probably not for everyone, but those who agree to Anderson's rules and submit to his "poetics" will be extremely satisfied. (01/10/2012)

Wes Anderson lives in a strange world full of strange and crazy people. It seems a bit as if his films had eaten a ton of mushrooms before the screening, and I watched the rain alternating with cloudy weather. And that’s when the moon comes out. Anyway, I have to say plainly that I expected a little more, mainly because of the great cast who appear in the film. That included both my favorite Bruce Willis and, on the contrary, Edward Norton, with whom I never know what to think, as well as the director’s staples like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, who are always joy to watch. I didn’t have a problem with the actors; what was worse was the storytelling and the scouts, who seemed to have crawled out of the factory for the absolute. It was nice, but it was weird and that’s why the three stars are just right. (04/01/2013)

Wes Anderson is a unique character who you don't see in world cinema too often. He always manages to surprise me, whether positively or negatively. Moonrise Kingdom is supposedly heavily inspired by his own childhood, and in that case, I wouldn't want to be his father or scout leader. Just as Miloš Forman became a role model for firefighters, Anderson has become one for scouting. Moonrise Kingdom is a film about children, love, determination, and bad weather. This film about rebellion against the adult world and the journey to fulfill a first love resonated with me. So far, this has been my most delightful encounter with Wes Anderson's work. The director's sense of absurdity, irony, and nonconformity definitely triumphed here. Overall impression: 95%. (26/04/2018)

Like a heretic, I confess that I have only seen Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, which didn't quite fit my mood at the time and has been waiting for a second chance ever since. After Moonrise Kingdom, I will definitely give it that chance. And I'm definitely going to (finally) watch Anderson's older films too, because this one literally charmed me - with everything. An original, funny, endearingly childish adult spectacle, perfectly cast, even better written and directed, and with a great Desplat score. What more can I ask for? (09/03/2014)