Kat Patrick
Moonrise Kingdom is officially released today and for all of you who didn’t catch it at the Film Festival, make you sure you go and see it. It needs the justice of a cinema to deliver the maximum Wes Anderson effect.
It doesn’t stray far from his usual visual tropes. The steady, colourful and artfully orchestrated opening scene could only belong to Wes, and the film quickly evolves into a perfect Anderson universe – you’re made acutely aware of the filmic process, with self-conscious camera work, stilted, charming dialogue and chocolate box saturation.
Wanky film speak aside, this film is really fun. Superficial in all the right ways, it offsets the confidence of young love with the bitter marriages and loneliness of adulthood. A simple message really: we can choose how hard we make love, it's not just a question of things being simpler when you were younger. You’re certainly not left wishing you were still twelve years old – Anderson makes clear that life will throw you some bizarre lemons no matter what you're age you are – you’re just left lusting after an adventure, and of course, Bill Murray.
The film is sweet, dark and funny. A combination that is tough to pull off, but Anderson manages with finesse. There’s plenty of physicality too, with amazing costume design that brings character and landscape together, so on occasion you feel as though you could be watching a high school play. With an enormous budget. And a world-class director.
If you’re in need of a healthy break from reality and fancy recessing into adventure for a couple of hours, make sure you catch Moonrise Kingdom. I reckon it would be guaranteed to get you a first or second date pash, at least.
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