In Andersonland, the quirky detail is king

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Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Moonrise Kingdom, Roman Coppola, Tilda Swinton, Wes Anderson

Is it possible to review a Wes Anderson film without using the words “quirky” or “eccentric”? It might be, if only he stopped making movies that fit such a description. Moonrise Kingdom is no exception, but all the better for it.

Situated on an island off the New England coast in a nostalgia laden view of 1965, it tells the story of two runaway children and the attempts of parents (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray), a police officer (Bruce Willis), a Scout troop (led endearingly by Edward Norton) and a Social Worker (Tilda Swinton) to find them.

Many Anderson hallmarks are present. There is a striking colour scheme of burnt orange, browns and sea blue, there are the returning cast members and collaborators (Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola), inventive use of the soundtrack, in this case Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and a lot of Hank Williams, and the detailed props, including a set of fictitious children’s books complete with cover illustrations. His aesthetic runs consistently from opening to closing credits, which are beautiful in themselves.

There has been some criticism of the lead child actors Jared Gilman (Sam) and Kara Hayward (Suzy) but this is unfair. They are charming and believable as they win over our sympathy in their dogged pursuit of freedom. Of course a pair of twelve year-olds can’t run off, get married and get away with it, but we’re on their side.

In anticipating this release in an earlier post, I was fearful of a film which would be content with a strong visual sense but little else. I’m happy to report that there is humour and, most importantly, real “heart” to Moonrise Kingdom, which side of it could perhaps could have been developed a little more, but nonetheless represents a return to form for a unique voice in contemporary cinema.

If I gave stars, it would be a 4.

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The return of Wes Anderson

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American cinema, indie cinema, Moonrise Kingdom, movies, Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson

I’ve gone through a couple of phases with Wes Anderson films, from “uniquely brilliant” to “superficial, gimmicky and shallow”. When I first watched The Royal Tenenbaums, I had it in the first category. The soundtrack! The cast! The humour! But a recent viewing forced a more negative reassessment. All that quirkiness just seemed to be a device for its own sake, a sort of self-indulgent juvenility.

Yet in writing that sentence I seem excessively harsh, even to myself, for if there is anything to be said for Anderson, it’s that he has a very distinctive aesthetic which offers its own escapism. Timeless, placeless environments peopled with odd characters and accompanied by a soundtrack pulled from musical obscurity, he creates a unique “Andersonville”. Many directors struggle to put their stamp on cinema but at least he can’t be accused of that. So what if he indulges esoteric interests and pointless affectations? At least there is life and colour to his work. Rushmore although one of his earlier films, more than stands up to repeated viewings and I still love it as much now as I did when I first watched it over a decade ago (Luke Wilson: “These are O.R scrubs.” Jason Schwartzman: “Oh, are they?”).

Which is why I’m excited about the upcoming Moonrise Kingdom which opened the Cannes film festival last night and is reviewed here. The mood music from critics is mainly positive and it’s been too long since I saw Anderson on the big screen (even then The Darjeeling Limited was patchy) so I’m prepared to go in with more than just an open mind; some genuine expectation is building. Let’s hope he delivers. I’ll post a review when I catch it next week…