By Kate Rodger
With the usual whimsical artistic aesthetic Wes Anderson is so famed for, and set on a fictional island off the coast of New England, populated by an eclectic assortment of locals and an unusually large number of boy scouts, Moonrise Kingdom is a gorgeously illustrated postcard to the child in us all.
It’s a love story, a coming-of-age story, and an heroic little tale which centres on two of the local kids, both who feel they don’t really fit in, and bond through those feelings. They run away, and the entire island, on the eve of one of the biggest storms ever to hit, heads out to look for them.
As he’s wont to do, Anderson gathers a few of his favourites about him, including Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, then chucks in the welcome likes of Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand.
But it’s the kids who steal the show, with newcomers Kara Harward and Jared Gilman perfectly embodying an unselfconscious yet oftentimes awkward young love.
This is an entirely guilt-free feel-good film I cannot imagine anyone would regret signing up for.
Four stars.
Moonrise Kingdom
:: Director: Len Wiseman
:: Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keitel, Bob Balaban, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward
:: Running Time: 114 mins
:: Rating: M - contains sexual references
:: Release Date: August 23, 2012
:: Trailer: Watch here
